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- Sen. Elizabeth Warren is asking the Inspector General to investigate Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
- Warren alleges Duffy, a former airline lobbyist, is making policy decisions that favor airlines over passengers.
- The senator highlighted the DOT’s reversal of a rule that would have required cash compensation for significant flight delays.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wants air travelers to get more from the airlines this holiday season. The senator said she’s concerned that the Department of Transportation is giving gifts to airlines rather than to passengers who rely on them.
“Instead of lowering the cost of air travel, former airline lobbyist Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ended a rule that would’ve forced airlines to compensate Americans for expenses when flights are canceled. Who does Sean Duffy think he is helping other than the airline industry? It sure looks like he’s putting his former lobbying clients ahead of the American people,” Warren told USA TODAY in a statement.
In a letter to the Office of the Inspector General, Warren asked that an inquiry be launched into Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whom she said she suspects is unethically favoring airlines through his policy decisions. Warren wrote in the letter that Duffy previously worked for a consulting firm that lobbied on behalf of airlines, and suggested that he may be making policy decisions more in line with that role.
The senator said that the secretary’s policy changes ultimately shift the financial burden of travel disruptions from the companies to consumers.
Why does Warren think there’s special treatment for airlines?
Warren said she was particularly troubled by the DOT’s decision to roll back a proposed rule that would require airlines to provide cash compensation to passengers whose flights were significantly delayed or canceled, in addition to providing refunds to those travelers who chose not to fly on alternative flights. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., also signed onto the letter.
A draft of the document, shared exclusively with USA TODAY, said:
Even as Americans face higher prices almost everywhere — including for air travel — the DOT has made air travel more expensive and burdensome for customers. On November 17, 2025, DOT eliminated protections that would have required airlines to automatically send passengers between $200-$775 in cash payments for delays of more than 3 hours caused by the airline. These payments were designed to compensate for costs to passengers arising from delays, potentially including reimbursements for hotels, airport meals, airport parking, and more.
Airlines for America (A4A), a trade group representing most major U.S. airlines, said the policy shift away from cash compensation would ultimately benefit consumers.
“An analysis of the European scheme that the Biden DOT attempted to emulate shows that government-mandated additional compensation needlessly drives up the cost of flying while negatively impacting operations,” Marli Collier, an A4A spokesperson, told USA TODAY in a statement. “InterVISTAS released a report last year indicating that if a European-style compensation scheme were to be implemented in the U.S., it could cost passengers $5.2 billion annually, reduce service and increase operational disruptions.”
According to Collier, airlines already have “competitive policies” offering vouchers and other forms of compensation for things like meals, hotels and ground transportation in the event of controllable delays.
What is the DOT saying?
The Department of Transportation said it’s focusing on other ways to improve air travel for passengers in the U.S.
The DOT said in a statement to USA TODAY:
The Biden-Buttigieg proposal was just that — a proposal. It was dropped after the election in the waning days of the administration. It was never enacted, and does not reflect the compensation consumers are currently entitled to with respect to delays and cancellations. The best way to cut endless delays is to fix our broken air traffic control system – something Buttigieg and Biden failed to do … Our deregulatory actions do not change our commitment or intent to carry out the consumer protection mandates from Congress, including those within the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act. These actions are part of our broader effort to ensure the traveling public is treated fairly while also recognizing how overly burdensome regulations will raise ticket prices for the traveling public and compromise safety for the sake of efficiency.
Still, Warren said, ahead of the holidays, it’s important to ask why the DOT is eliminating rules that are popular with consumers.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at [email protected].
