Obama Ups Fines to Bump Passengers Off Flights

The Obama administration has more good news for frustrated travelers. The Department of Transportation intends to increase the amount airlines have to pay you if they bump you involuntarily to a later flight. The regulation, one of several passenger-friendly moves from the White House, comes amid soaring bump rates, ABC News reports. Last year, 762,422 passengers got pushed back, up 10% from the previous year. This year is on pace to rise another 17%.

"The airlines are cutting back because of the economy and the planes are fuller," explains one aviation blogger. They're also continuing to oversell flights, something only JetBlue has a policy of not doing. Currently, passengers must be paid $400 to $800 if bumped involuntarily from a flight; those limits would increase to $650 to $1300. The fees are rarely assessed; airlines can avoid them by offering passengers incentives, like credit toward later flights, to voluntarily switch.
(More JetBlue stories.)