U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Florida's 27th District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Florida's 27th District | Official U.S. House headshot
On September 17, 2024, Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Dina Titus (D-NV), and Mark Alford (R-MO) introduced H.R. 9552, the Flight Refund Fairness Act.
Miami, as a major tourist destination, sees millions of visitors relying on travel agencies for their plans. The new legislation aims to address the liability issues that arise from unexpected delays and cancellations affecting travelers and agents. It seeks to protect small travel agencies from bearing the brunt of these disruptions.
“Miami is the premier tourism hub and the small businesses that support this industry must be protected,” said Rep. Salazar. “The Flight Refund Fairness Act will remove a regulatory hurdle for small travel advisors that otherwise may jeopardize their business operations and burden travelers. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure fair competition in the travel industry remains strong.”
The proposed act exempts small travel agencies or ticket agents from refund requirements when flights are canceled, shifting responsibility back to the airlines. This change aims to alleviate financial burdens on small businesses due to uncontrollable industry occurrences.
“As the Co-Chair of the Travel and Tourism Caucus, I know the importance of travel advisors to the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries across the country, 80 percent of which are women-owned small businesses,” said Rep. Titus. “I’m proud to join the introduction of the Flight Refund Fairness Act so that we can protect these small businesses which continue to attract more visitors to Southern Nevada to experience everything the Las Vegas Valley has to offer.”
“The Flight Refund Fairness Act is a crucial step towards protecting small businesses from the rampant overreach of bureaucrats in Washington,” said Rep. Alford. “Local travel planners should not be held responsible for flight cancellations of large airlines. I’m proud to co-lead this bill that protects Main Street from Washington.”
Zane Kerby, President & CEO of American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), expressed support: “The Flight Refund Fairness Act recognizes that small businesses are the backbone of our nation’s economy... ASTA wholeheartedly thanks Representatives Salazar, Titus and Alford for recognizing this unfair new policy with their introduction H.R. 9552.”
To read the full text of the legislation, click here.
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