Travelers' Rights: New Guidelines for Airlines

Sept. 26, 2007 — -- Those long lines of frustrated passengers stuck in airports or sitting on delayed flights may soon get some relief, according to a government report that will recommend that airlines must define what constitutes a long onboard delay, and then set a time limit on just how long passengers can be stuck on planes, ABC News' Lisa Stark has learned.

The Department of Transportation's inspector general has been reviewing airline practices after a series of extensive delays this past year, including last February's Jet Blue flights in New York where some passengers were stuck on the tarmac for as long as 10 hours.

For tips on how to avoid delays when you plan a trip click here.

According to one source, the report, which will be released later today, will recommend that airlines must meet customers' essential needs during extended delays.

They will also have to establish targets for reducing chronically delayed or canceled flights, and possibly eliminate those flights.

Airports, Government to Keep Closer Tabs on Passenger Treatment

The recommendations come after one of the worst air travel summers on record, with only about 74 percent of flights arriving on time.

Consumers would have more information when planning their trips if these changes were implemented, as airlines would be expected to post on-time performance information for specific flights on the Internet -- which many already do -- and disclose the prior month's on-time performance.

They will also have to give that information to passengers who call to book a flight.

The IG also recommends that airports play a role in preventing long onboard delays. They would set up a process for monitoring and mitigating long onboard delays, including contacting airlines after a plane has been on the tarmac for two hours to request a plan of action.

There would also be changes to government oversight, with airlines, airports and the FAA establishing a task force to coordinate and develop contingency plans to deal with lengthy delays.

And there would be some recourse for passengers who experience lengthy delays or cancellations -- airlines would be expected to set up a system to make sure they are meeting their customer commitments, and the Department of Transportation would keep watch to ensure the same.

The inspector general's recommendations would now have to be implemented by the Department of Transportation, the airlines and airports. Congress is considering legislation that would cover some of the same ground, including limits on how long passengers can be stranded on airplanes.

None of this will happen overnight, so for now passengers will have to sit tight, and leave plenty of time when they travel.