The Transportation Department will create an online dashboard designed to provide members of the U.S. military and their families with comparative information on the travel benefits that are guaranteed to them by large U.S. airlines.
The dashboard, which will be displayed within the DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection website, will go live sometime in May. It will be the second dashboard the DOT has set up to make it easier for the public to view and compare airline consumer-related benefits and protections, following the launch of the Airline Customer Service Dashboard in September 2022. That dashboard details guarantees that airlines have made within their carriage contracts related to flight delays, flight cancellations and family seating.
"The Department appreciates that carriers currently provide active-duty service members and their families various military travel benefits," DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote in a letter that went out to airline CEOs. "However, these benefits are not consistently detailed in carriers' public-facing customer service plans, resulting in many service members being unaware of them. Also, airlines' travel benefits often do not fully address the needs of service members who may need to cancel or change personal travel plans due to military directives."
In a statement, the Airlines for America trade group said, "U.S. airlines greatly appreciate the selfless service of members of the U.S. military and their families, which is why carriers are proud to offer a variety of travel benefits and are transparent about these benefits on their websites."
Though policies differ, airlines typically offer benefits to active service members and their families, often including free bag allowances, early boarding, fare discounts and liberalized pet transport rules.