For years, U.S. airline passengers have been gaining ground against annoyances like misleading prices, hidden fees and flight disruptions. But now the tide appears to be turning. President Trump's Department of Transportation is aiming to water down longstanding passenger protections, pushing, for example, to change how prominently airlines display prices in advertising and to clamp down on compensation for disrupted flights. These recent steps have alarmed consumer groups and elected officials, with some saying that the proposals tilt the scales in favor of the airline industry. In addition, they say, the department is steadily taking a more hands-off approach to policing airlines, and that could end up hurting passengers. “We’re in really new territory with consumer protection regulations,” said Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org, one of the largest U.S. advocacy groups for air travelers. “It’s shaping up to be a wholesale reversal of consumer protection for airline passengers.” Read more here: bit.ly/4yQoKPr

"Under Sean Duffy, the Transportation Department has worked to roll back consumer protections. Passenger advocates say the changes favor airlines." nytimes.com/2026/10/08/trave…