1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Block the new Department of Transportation regulations taking effect October 19 that strip passengers of compensation rights when flights are delayed or canceled — and go further by championing protections modeled on the EU's passenger rights framework. These rules remove 10 disruption categories from airline responsibility, meaning carriers no longer have to provide hotel accommodations or meal vouchers for cybersecurity attacks, unscheduled maintenance, baggage system outages, and overheated brakes. These are operational failures, not acts of God. Europe's approach works. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers receive automatic cash compensation of up to €600 for significant delays, regardless of the excuse airlines offer. American travelers deserve the same standard. Airlines already collect billions in fees while passengers have almost no leverage at the gate, and these new rules make that imbalance worse — right before the holiday travel season, when millions of families are most exposed. Use your authority to challenge these regulations before October 19, and introduce or co-sponsor legislation that establishes mandatory cash compensation, guaranteed rebooking, and care obligations for all operational disruptions. Blocking a bad rule is a start. Setting a new, higher standard is the real win.