Ahead of Holiday Travel Season, Welch Joins Legislation to Protect Airline Passengers from Flight Cancellations and Delays

Dec 9, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Ahead of the holiday travel season,U.S. Senator Peter Welch(D-Vt.)joinedU.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.),Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and 13 Senators in introducing theFlight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act,legislation to protect passengers by requiring airlines to provide cash compensation and free rebooking for passengers facing significant delays or cancellations caused by the airline. The Senators’ bill would also direct the Department of Transportation (DOT) to mandate airlines reimburse passengers for hotels, meals, and transportation to lodging as a result of flight disruptions, regardless of the cause of the delay.
The legislation comes in response to the Trump Administration’scancellationof a popular consumer protection rule in the making that would have required airlines to compensate passengers for preventable travel cancellations or delays.
“From Day One, President Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t care about consumers. His decision to scrap a proposal to hold airlines accountable for delays is the latest example. Passengers impacted by delays and cancellations should get the compensation they deserve,”said Senator Welch.“I’m proud to join this legislation which will do just that.”
“Flying is already stressful and expensive. Airlines have to be accountable when they cost the American people money and travelers are left stranded,”said Senator Kelly. “We’re working to make sure that passengers are protected so that cancellations and delays don’t cost them money out of their own pockets.”
“This commonsense legislation holds airlines accountable and properly compensates passengers when their flight is delayed or cancelled—protecting Americans from losing their hard-earned paychecks to flight disruptions beyond their control and alleviating the burden of chaotic travel days. The Trump Administration’s senseless backtracking on airline passenger protections only serves the airline industry, padding their pocketbooks and leaving Americans stranded without help. With the Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act, we put the traveling public first and bolster cost-saving consumer protections,”said Senator Blumenthal.
“Airlines that cancel and significantly delay flights due to their own mistakes can costs flyers thousands of dollars in secondary costs and lost income. In other words, the traveling public covers the costs of the airlines’ mistakes,”said Senator Markey. “Instead of protecting family budgets, the Trump Administration is choosing to protect the airlines’ bottom line. I’m proud to partner with Senator Kelly and Senator Blumenthal to introduce the Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act, an important step to hold airlines accountable, enact cost-saving protections, and prioritize consumers instead of CEO billionaires and corporations at the top of the airline industry.”
On November 15, 2025, the Trump Administration officially withdrew a planned Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) that the previous Administration’s Department of Transportation had initiated in December 2024 to require airlines to compensate passengers and cover their expenses for lengthy delays or cancellations caused by carriers. The ANPRM is the first part of the federal rulemaking process, meant to solicit public comment on the policies proposed by the agency. This ANPRM sought public comment on a rulemaking to “ensure consumers experiencing significant flight disruptions are taken care of and protected from financial losses.”
Under theFlight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act, the DOT would be required to issue regulations that:
The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Learn moreabout theFlight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act.
Read and downloadthe full text of the bill.
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