Piling on the baggage

It looks like the federal government is stepping in to regulate airlines a bit. And unlike the annoyingly stupid full body security scans instituted last year, these regulations actually look like they're going to benefit travelers. Shocking, I know.

The Transportation Department's new rules, which are slated to go into effect in about four months or so, will mean that airlines will have to refund baggage fees if they lose your luggage — they're already required to compensate you for the value of your lost goodies. But you're out of luck if your bag is delivered eventually (no matter how far down 'eventually' is). Airlines won't be required to reimburse you if the bag comes late.

The new rule also will make airlines include all fees, taxes and hidden costs in their advertised prices. I don't know about you, but I think it's immensely annoying when I'm planning to book a flight because it's this great deal I found only to be slapped with $100-plus extra on the final cost. Kind of defeats the whole beauty of the deal, doesn't it?

Also — and I'm extremely lucky this has never happened to me — but apparently airlines have kept passengers on the tarmac for up to 10 hours. Ridiculous! Well, it's not going to happen anymore. The Transportation Department is expanding the tarmac delay rules — which already say that domestic flights can't hold passengers on board without food, water and access to bathrooms for more than three hours — to include international flights at a cap of four hours.

This last rule is one that I think shouldn't even have to be implemented because the premise of the violation behind it is so absolutely absurd — but at least something's being done about it, I suppose. Carriers will have to pay passengers up to twice the cost of their ticket, capped at $800, if they're bumped from an overbooked flight (it was a $400 max before).

Carriers shouldn't be overbooking flights anyway!!! Seriously. I understand it's all a money game, but come on! If, for whatever reason, the flight is booked and someone doesn't show up or cancels, there's always stand-bys hanging on for hope that they'll make it on that last-minute flight. Put them on the flight, rather than overbooking it to start and then having to reschedule the passengers that are bumped. Wouldn't that save everyone time and perhaps some headaches?

Anyway, at least those unfortunate people will get some sort of compensation now. Because, let's face it, how many flights cost you less than $200 these days?