New law requires airfare refunds for delays and cancellations

SEATTLE — A photo of coach Mike Bethea and the Rainier Beach High School boys basketball team shows how the group spent the days leading up to Christmas in 2022.

They were sleeping on the floor at the airport in Las Vegas during a massive winter storm.

"I get an alert on my phone," Bethea said. "It basically told us the airline had shut everything down."

The group of 32 was trying to get back to Seattle after competing in a national tournament.

"The first thing they basically told us is we were on our own," Bethea said.

Bethea went back and forth with Southwest Airlines for several days trying to get the team on standby. He spent $10,000 of his own money to take care of the team.

They chartered a bus and finally got home after an 18-hour drive.

"They missed Christmas, but we made the best of it," Bethea said.

Their story became the catalyst for new legislation spearheaded by Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell.

"Consumers need clear communication,"Cantwell said. "They need the options communicated so that they can make their best travel plans."

In April, Congress approved a $105 billion bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for five years.

The package includes consumer protections like:

• Guaranteed refunds if a domestic flight is delayed more than three hours, and if an international flight is delayed more than six hours
• No fees for families to sit together
• Triples the penalty for consumer violations from $25,000 to $75,000

"It creates a strong legal foundation for no matter who is in the White House in the future," Cantwell said. "That means it can't be taken away. It's in the law."