New online dashboard to help flyers on delays, cancellations

By ASHRAF KHALIL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Transportation has launched a customer service dashboard to help vacationers ahead of the travel-heavy Labor Day weekend. Starting Thursday, travelers will be able to check the dashboard and see what kinds of guarantees, refunds or compensation the major domestic airlines offer in case of flight delays or cancellations. The dashboard is designed to allow travelers to comparison shop and favor those airlines that offer the best compensation, thereby influencing all to follow suit. Flight delays and cancellations have bedeviled airline travel this year. Federal officials blame many of the disruptions on understaffing at airlines. The airlines blame staffing problems at the Federal Aviation Administration, which employs air traffic controllers.