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Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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With travel prices soaring, customers might be tempted to pick the cheapest base option they find. But the base price of airfare and hotels represents only a fraction of the total costs. A parade of add-on fees await any traveler trying to navigate the checkout process, ballooning the final price. Experts call it “ drip pricing .”

“It’s called ‘drip’ because surcharges and fees drip out throughout the shopping process,” says Vicki Morwitz, a professor of business and marketing at the Columbia Business School.

Customers tend to overpay when prices are presented this way, according to a study conducted by Morwitz and her colleagues.

“Customers are more likely to select an option that looks cheaper upfront. Even when they later realize it’s more expensive than they anticipated, they’re more likely to stick with it,” she says.

From resort fees and boarding-pass printing fees (yes, that’s a thing), companies were padding their bottom lines with these add-ons even before inflation soared this year. Avoiding them requires diligence and know-how.

Hotel resort fees

Resort fees , which are sometimes called “facility fees” or “destination fees” purportedly cover amenities like internet and pool access. But because the fees are mandatory, they act as hidden costs for booking a room that don’t appear until final checkout.

“Resort fees are the only travel fee that has no correlation to any actual service or product,” says Lauren Wolfe, counsel at Travelers United, an advocacy group for travelers. She’s also the founder of the website Kill Resort Fees. “If your hotel charges for parking, if you don't have a car, you don't pay to park. Hotel resort fees, though, are almost impossible to get out of even if you decline amenities.”

Here are some tips to minimize these pesky fees:

Pay with points at brands that waive resort fees for award stays, like Hilton and Hyatt.

Ask the front desk to waive the fee. “It is probably not likely to work but you can always ask nicely,” Wolfe says.

Look for a search option on a hotel website or app to “show rate with taxes and fees” or similar. This will help compare real prices directly and avoid the hassle of clicking through to the final checkout windows.

» Learn more: The best Las Vegas hotels without resort fees

Airline seat selection fees

Despite a recent uptick, the cost of airfare has actually been dropping for years. That might sound like good news, but that hides a hidden trend: Airlines have been gathering more of their revenue from add-on fees while lowering the base price of airfare.

Charging for seat selection is one of the newest, and most galling, tricks. These fees usually appear during checkout and often seem mandatory.

These fees are almost always avoidable, though. Simply skipping the seat selection process and letting the airline assign a seat at a later date is often the wisest choice if you don’t mind the risk of getting stuck with a middle seat.

Airlines want customers to pay these fees, of course, and often share scary warnings about the dangers of not picking a seat. But skipping seat selection doesn’t increase your chances of getting bumped from a flight.

And note that some airlines, such as Southwest, don’t charge for seat selection.

Vacation rental cleaning fees

Everyone wants a clean vacation rental, but nobody wants to pay exorbitant cleaning fees that can exceed the base cost of the rental.

It’s almost impossible to avoid these fees outright, as most properties carry them. But it is possible to avoid paying too much.

Most vacation rental platforms, including Airbnb , offer some option to compare “total price,” which includes cleaning and other fees. It isn’t always easy to filter and sort on total price, but seeing this price on the search screen rather than the checkout screen can vastly simplify comparison shopping.

And note, unlike resort fees — which are usually added to every night booked — cleaning fees are applied once. A $100 cleaning fee might be intolerable for one night but reasonable for 10. So, the best way to avoid cleaning fees on short stays is usually to book a hotel instead.

» Learn more: 6 alternatives to Airbnb

Don't get dripped

The underlying psychology of add-on fees is simple: We get lured in by the low sticker price, then grudgingly accept the extra costs.

Countering this bias is equally simple in theory, if not in practice. Ignore sticker prices and compare final prices only — taking all fees into account. And avoid as many optional fees (such as airline seat selection) as possible.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023 , including those best for:

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Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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Travel guide: Step 3

What to consider while traveling

First time setup completed

Book travel completed

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Now for the fun part! Here are a few things to keep in mind when traveling for TTS.

Use your travel card when possible

Use of the GSA travel card is mandatory for all expenses as per the Federal Travel Regulation , except expenses for which it "is impractical (e.g., vendor does not accept credit cards) or imposes unreasonable burdens or costs (e.g., fees are charged for using the card)."

Must I use the travel card for meals and incidental expenses?

Request tax exemption where available

Many jurisdictions exempt federal travelers from paying lodging tax. More information on each state's policy can be found here . Note that the GSA travel card is considered an "IBA".

Which receipts must I keep?

Receipts are required for lodging, rental cars, gas purchases when using a rental car, and any other expenses over $75. If no receipt(s) can be provided, an acceptable reason must be given explaining why you are unable to furnish the necessary receipt(s).

Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE)

In addition to receiving round trip tickets to your destination and lodging for the nights that you need to stay there, you also get a flat-rate per diem for Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) . A few things to remember:

M&IE is given to you to cover the additional expenses you might incur while traveling that you might not normally have at home, like dining out instead of eating home-cooked meals, forgetting toothpaste, tipping hotel porters, etc.

This allowance is at your discretion to spend and you don’t need to provide receipts for it.

The amount that is given is based on your location, not your actual expenses. If you spent less than the allowance, you get to keep the difference, and if you spend more, you must pay the difference.

M&IE is given at a reduced rate on “travel days”-- i.e. days where part of the normal work day was spent traveling. This reduced rate is always 75% of normal M&IE, regardless of how much of the day was actually spent traveling.

Note that if your travel extends past midnight, you get the full meal allowance for the long day of travel plus the 75% of the meal allowance for the following day (even if you arrived just after midnight local time). If you anticipate traveling past midnight, ensure your authorization reflects this in advance, otherwise, you will need to create an amended authorization upon your return.

M&IE is given as a reimbursement after submitting a voucher, which is done after you return from a trip. How this reimbursement is disbursed depends on how much you used the GSA travel card.

You may use your travel card to get a TTS-only, cash advance from an ATM , but only if your authorization to travel has been approved, and only for expenses you wouldn't expect to be able to pay for using the travel card.

M&IE and use of the GSA travel card

While use of the GSA travel card is required for all travel expenses when practicable, using the GSA travel card to pay for M&IE requires some additional administrative work when submitting a voucher after returning from your trip. Here's what you should be aware of when completing your voucher-- should you use the GSA travel card for meals and incidental expenses, keeping receipts for your personal use may be helpful. Feel free to book , external, travel office hours for a walkthrough on what to keep in mind when paying for meals while traveling.

Other necessary expenses

Follow the guidance above for keeping receipts, and also be mindful of budget-- do not exceed the overall amount budgeted for your travel in your authorization email (SF-182 or Salesforce event request for trainings/conferences) by more than 20%.

Taxis, public transit, and other forms of local transportation

Reasonable local transit costs may be authorized in the following situations:

• From the airport or train station to the residence or office
• Between a place of lodging and a place of business, or between two or more places of business
• To obtain meals only when the nature and location of the work is such that meals cannot be obtained within reasonable walking distance. Expenses claimed to obtain a meal for personal convenience or preference, however, will not be reimbursed.

Baggage fees

• Baggage fees for one bag may reimbursed per leg without further justification. Fees for 2 or more bags requires additional justification.

Mileage, Parking, and Tolls

• Reimbursement for privately-owned (not rented) vehicle mileage at the POV mileage rates can be approved if considered advantageous to the Government. POV mileage is advantageous when it is the least costly method (taking into account the cost of additional travel time) of all options including a government car, public transportation, ride-share, taxi, rental car.

For example, it is typically advantageous to use a POV to go to the airport for instance, where reasonable public transit is not available, and the costs of the mileage reimbursement and parking are less than round trip taxi fare from home to the airport.

Parking at the airport is only reimbursable when the conditions in the above example are met. However, when use of a government car, rental car, or privately owned car is authorized, parking charges and tolls as they relate to the mission are reimbursable.

Internet service

• May be expensed when government-provided internet service (i.e. the data plan and hotspot on your government phone) is not available. Wifi on an airplane is generally reimbursable, but wifi charges at a hotel or other areas where cell signal is generally available require justification specifying why you weren't able to use your government phone connection.

Laundry expenses

• May only be reimbursable if travel involves at least 4 consecutive nights.

Remote working guidance

When working from somewhere that isn't your usual duty location, consider these tips to help coworkers and partners plan around your trip.

Don't forget about vouchers!

Have a good trip, get reimbursement -- filling out a voucher-- within 5 business days of getting back.

Why the rush? Filling out a voucher correctly allows you to:

Get reimbursed for your M&IE and for any hotels, airplane tickets, or other expenses you paid for personally.

Have the government automatically pay off the balance on your Travel Card. If you do your voucher correctly and on time, you will never have to worry about paying one of those bills yourself.

On the other side, when travel expenses are submitted late, it’s a major drain on resources for the finance and agreements teams, which sometimes have to reopen billing and even modify agreements in order to recover our costs for the trip, which the Economy Act requires us to do. So, future travel may not be approved for anyone with travel expenses that are more than 5 business days outstanding.

Back from your trip? Head on over to get reimbursed!

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Handbook.tts.gsa.gov

An official website of the U.S. General Services Administration

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Hand-selected articles, guides, and more from the makers of Check Cherry, designed to help your business grow and flourish.

Charging Your Clients Travel Fees [Beginners Guide]

If you travel to provide services to your clients, there is a good chance you've considered implementing travel fees. In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about travel fees and provide some actionable advice to ensure you're doing it right.

What is a travel fee?

A travel fee is an additional fee added to your standard pricing. Often, travel fees vary based on the distance one travels. The further one travels, the higher the travel fee. 

👉 Use a quality online booking system with travel fees built-in, like Check Cherry, so you can automatically calculate and charge clients travel fees. It saves a lot of time and ensures accurate billing.

Why do people charge travel fees?

If you package your services, there is a good chance you've factored some travel into your pricing. However, if a client needs you to drive 62 miles, your standard pricing may no longer be profitable. Travel fees allow you to service a larger geographic area by offering clients the option to compensate you for travel.

Should I charge travel fees?

If you're open to traveling further distances to work and leveraging packages to sell your services, you should charge travel fees because they will ensure you are operating profitably.

If you are unwilling to travel outside a smaller area or send proposals with custom pricing to each client, you might want to lump all costs into one price to ensure each booking is profitable.

👉 Travel fees give more people the opportunity to hire you because it expands the geographic area you are willing to serve.

Distance-Based Travel Fees

We often see our customers include a free travel range with all packages. For example, the first 30 miles are free, and if they must drive more than 30 miles, it's $2.00 per mile. Distance-based travel fees are outstanding because they are granular and account for time and fuel costs best.

Flat Rate Travel Fees Tiers

Some people like to charge a flat fee for travel. For example, one's travel fee structure might look like this:

0-25 miles - FREE

25-50 miles - $35 Flat Fee

50-100 miles - $125 Flat Fee

This option is much less popular. One positive aspect is you can make one tier meaningfully more expensive than another.

Round-trip or one-way?

The majority of Check Cherry customers charge one-way travel fees. If a wedding venue is 55 miles away, they charge a travel fee based on 55 miles (single trip). Another option is calculating based on the length of getting to and from the service address (round trip).

One-way calculations make it easier for the client to understand your fee structure because most clients will not think to double the distance. If you opt to charge on a one-way basis, consider increasing your per-mile fee to account for the trip back home.

On the other hand, the round trip calculation will make the per-mile fee appear lower than a single trip fee. This may be helpful during the initial sales process. Round-trip is also a more accurate representation of actual costs associated with you traveling on behalf of a client.

Should I just use the rates provided by the IRS?

Each year, the IRS releases Standard Mileage Rates . In 2022, the amount was 58.5 cents per mile. Check with the IRS or your tax professional each year and track mileage for any business purposes. Regardless if you charge travel fees or not, you can deduct the cost per mile that you travel for business. Talk to your accountant about how to do it right.

Remember that the number provided by the IRS each year is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. It's probably a mistake to charge clients based on rates set by the IRS.

How much should I charge my clients for mileage?

This answer will vary by market, service type, and ideal customer profile. Here are three factors to consider when calculating a travel fee:

Travel time

One of the more significant expenses is your time, and travel will effectively increase the time you need to dedicate to complete your service. If you have staff, you probably want to pay them for travel time to ensure they want to work a booking or event.

Gas prices are outrageous. Do a rough calculation to see what it goes to drive 15, 25, or 50 miles based on your fully-loaded vehicle.

Vehicle wear and tear

The more you drive a vehicle, the more it costs to own due to depreciation, interest on your loan, insurance premiums, maintenance, and repairs. Estimates can be as low as $0.21 per mile and more than $0.62 per mile. You can use this handy calculator to get an estimate for your vehicle.

Example Travel Fee Calculation

Here is an example of how one might estimate the true costs of travel.

Fuel - $0.206 per mile

Cost per gallon of fuel: $4.33

Miles per gallon of fuel: 21

Fuel cost per mile = $0.206 cents per mile ($4.33 / 21)

Wear & Tear - $0.66 per mile

5 Year Vehicle Wear and Tear = $49,515

Vehicle Wear and Tear Per Year = $ 9903 ($49,515/ 5)

Per Mile Wear and Tear = $0.66 ($9903 / 15,000 miles)

Staff Costs - $0.517 per mile

Distance to Venue: 38.7 Miles

Travel Time: 1 Hour

Hourly Rate: $20

Cost per mile = $0.517 ($20 / 38.7 miles)

Estimated Travel Fee

$1.38 per mile ($0.206 + $0.66 + $0.517)

Automatic Travel Fee Calculations

Watch how Check Cherry makes it easy to  calculate and charge travel fees . You can create multiple travel zones, limit bookings outside your service area, and more.

People will ❤️ how easy it is to book you online.

Try Check Cherry free for 14 days, no credit card required.

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Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

FILE - Passenger drop off their baggage at United Airlines in C Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Houston. The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday, April 24, 2024, to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

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The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays.

Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.

Airlines still will be allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer.

The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights. And it will apply to fees for things such as seat selection or an internet connection if the airline fails to provide the service.

Complaints about refunds skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as airlines canceled flights and, even when they didn’t, many people didn’t feel safe sharing a plane cabin with other passengers.

Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. carriers, noted that refund complaints to the Transportation Department have fallen sharply since mid-2020. A spokesperson for the group said airlines “offer a range of options — including fully refundable fares — to increase accessibility to air travel and to help customers make ticket selections that best fit their needs.”

The group said the 11 largest U.S. airlines issued $43 billion in customer refunds from 2020 through 2023.

The Transportation Department issued a separate rule requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose upfront what they charge for checked and carry-on bags and canceling or changing a reservation. On airline websites, the fees must be shown the first time customers see a price and schedule.

The rule will also oblige airlines to tell passengers they have a guaranteed seat they are not required to pay extra for, although it does not bar airlines from charging people to choose specific seats. Many airlines now charge extra for certain spots, including exit-row seats and those near the front of the cabin.

The agency said the rule will save consumers more than $500 million a year.

Airlines for America said its members “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers” from their first search.

The new rules will take effect over the next two years. They are part of a broad administration attack on what President Joe Biden calls “junk fees.” Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that his department will let state officials in 15 states help enforce federal airline consumer protection laws .

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How to Effectively Charge Customers for Travel Time

Tackling any topic related to rates is likely one of the most debatable areas to touch with a ten foot pole. Technicians are stoutly protective of their pricing structures when the discussion comes up. However, I’m admittedly adventurous in this realm and believe that the more open we are with effective ways to address travel costs, the better we can serve our customers in settings fees that are appropriate for both sides. I took a chance to address proper self-worth valuation when it comes to pricing a little while back, but let’s see if we can tackle travel costs this time around. My goal here is not to say that my methodology is necessarily better; it works for my computer repair company FireLogic and I’m open to sharing it fully with fellow techs. The overarching goal with this article is to merely establish a friendly debate on all of the available methods for charging on travel, and weighing the pros/cons of each. There is no single method or rate that fits all technicians. We’re all disparate in our own ways: serving different communities, working with different customers, and operating within distinct socioeconomic regions.

The Technibble forums are generally host to some interesting discussion on travel fees and how to determine them. A few particular threads hosted some great insight like this one, a thread related to call out charges, and this discussion on how to charge for visits that are out of area. I’m going to admittedly pull a mixture of ideas from various forum postings below to give people an idea of what various techs have concocted to meet this growing need. Let’s take a look at the different ways you can charge your own customers for travel time.

The flat hourly rate

I’ll cover this one first since this is how FireLogic handles travel costs. I like this model because it’s simple for a customer to understand and doesn’t require any extensive tracking/recording besides time. My view is that if someone is willing to pay for us to travel out to visit them, a flat hourly travel rate properly compensates the tech that needs to make the trip and covers gas expenses. Our travel rate is currently $20USD/hr (about 1/4 of what our hourly onsite rate is) and has proven to be a happy medium for our customers and techs. We do not charge for return travel, as the notion goes that the next customer being visited will pick up the subsequent trip as their visit charge. Some forum goers admit to charging their full hourly rate for travel, which is understandable depending on your situation. Do your research before establishing anything, but for the Park Ridge and suburban Chicago area (USA) this system has been very successful for us with little customer pushback.

Enforcing minimum onsite service fees

This is an roundabout to charging outright travel fees or an hourly trip rate. In this method, you notify your customer that they will be paying, for example, a one hour minimum of service for the visit. More than a few techs on the forums prefer this approach as it keeps travel fees out of the customer’s sight, and also cuts back on excessive abuse of onsite labor for small tasks. From the consensus I could gather, it seems that rural techs tend to like this method as travel fees are frowned upon in such locales but customers take positively to this approach. I don’t think it would be a bad idea to use a hybrid approach of a travel rate with an onsite minimum. Again, your circumstances and competition’s methods will have a big bearing on your own attitude towards this model.

Staggered travel flat-rate fee

Yet another way to charge for travel is to create a graduated, or staggered, trip charge schedule that is based upon the number of miles from your home base to the customer location. The benefit of this model is that it directly segregates shorter trips from longer ones, and gives the customer an easy way to estimate their final total. However, the downside is that if traffic catches a technician, even a short 4 mile trip in an urban area could turn out to take just as much, if not more time, than a 10 mile journey in the countryside. I personally frown upon this model since I service the suburban Park Ridge region of Chicago, and traffic can be dicey depending on time of day and the direction of a customer location. For rural techs, this may be more appealing.

Charging “by the mile” based on a standard rate

A similar method as the staggered model above, but this one ties exact mileage or distance traveled to a standardized rate “per mile” or “per kilometer.” For the United States, I have heard of many techs tie their rate to correlate directly with the mileage rate used by the federal government. As with the staggered method, I don’t believe it fully takes into account the time spent traveling to a customer in busy, traffic-drenched areas. But for techs that want a simpler, streamlined way to present their travel rates to customers, this is about as clean cut as it gets. Tying your travel rate to the same as the government uses cuts down on arguments from clients because you can merely point them to the higher authority for why you charge what you do.

Utilizing different onsite vs offsite service rates

My company uses this notion for how our prices are set. For our case, it’s not directly to take into account travel costs. We differentiate hourly rates moreso because of the simple fact that when I am onsite, I am dedicated solely to that single customer. I cannot multi-task in any way like one can do in-shop or from their home office. For this reason, a different price is justified. But some techs claim that merely forgoing a separate travel fee and charging an inflated 20-30% of their regular rate is effective. The benefit is that you can mask your travel costs to the customer. The downside is that such a massive difference in rate may sway more customers than you wish to use your services at the “discounted” rate and stick to remote support or the like. Good or bad, it’s up to you to decide how this may work out.

Whichever method you ultimately decide to use, remember that doing some competitive analysis is always key to a rate structure that customers will be open to. You don’t want to blindly change your travel fee methodology without sniffing around to see what your local techs are charging, and how they are structuring their fees. Systems that may work well for rural areas are not always suitable for urban areas as I described above. Do your homework, reach out to some customers for their feelings, and make an informed decision. How you publicly account for travel expenses using any of the methods above may be just as important as what  amount you charge a customer.

Feel free to post your own ideas or comments on what you think is the best way to charge for travel. What works? What doesn’t? Let us know!

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This was a sticking point for me for a while. Because there is a major interstate that runs right past me, 20 miles north or south can take only 20 minutes to drive, while 20 miles east or west can take 45 minutes or more.

For that reason, the easiest way for me to do this was to charge a flat “travel fee” for any work done outside of my county. This is flexible, and depends on the work being done as well. If it’s a long-time client that I get a lot of work from, I may waive the fee. But I usually charge first time customers the travel fee just to make sure they’re serious about the job.

This is a very situational issue, and you seem to have covered most of the scenarios. Great read!

Matt http://www.yfncg.com

Thanks Derrick, good article.

One idea I thought was not directly stated in your article about the difference between bench rate and outside or the on-site consulting call is that they often require different levels of training thus have different levels of service in addition to the convince to the customer and different levels of cost to the provider. I can often schedule our bench with a brand new, out of tech school tech with minimal additional training and experience which we call a Jr. Tech who also BTW, makes minimal wages. I would never send this person to someone’s business or home not knowing exactly what he was walking into. On the other end I cannot send a senior tech to Cisco routing or Windows Server active directory/permissions issues. So there are at least three levels of training and experience required for these three types of service. We also have a fourth level tech which I pay on contract when things get above my head and I bill him out at $200 per hour.

At Computer Fix-It we have four levels of tech. Jr bench tech, senior tech that can do all sorts of calls everything short of heavy networking/server permissions and a Consultant who does the network design and maintenance. We get three rates. $59.99 bench rate, also that is our most profitable as you stated we can work on three or more computers at the same time. This level is supervised by a manager or Senior tech or senior consultant. Our senior tech bills out at $99.99 per hour on site to your home or small office. We also charge one way travel within the county (about 20 mile radius). Then we have a Consultant who can do minor routing, server permissions or active Directory type issues at $120 per hour also one way travel. If travel is outside our county we have a one way travel added and a 2 hr minimum billing. Finally, we have a 25 year Novell CNE and senior consultant who we bill out at $200 per hour when we need him. He is a contract employee as most of my clients do not require his level of skills.

With regards to travel, I inquired with one friend who owns a business in NYC “how you handle peak traffic and get across town which could be 1 hr or more travel?” He said that they schedule first of the day appointments which is during rush hour and they just show up at the clients site same as they would show up at their office so there was no additional travel and by the time they finished the first job it was no longer peak traffic so they go to the next appointment. Likewise for evening peak traffic they would schedule a job no later than 3pm so that they would be onsite working when peak travel began in the afternoons and then would just travel home same as if they left their office at 4 or 5pm. One thing they do is bill 2 hr minimum call no matter what time of work day which helps offset some of the additional travel expenses and they charge parking which is easily $25 per call.

Derrick, I hope to see an article on how to set adjust your prices. I believe most members could benefit from that. When initially setting your prices, one should be careful and not give too much attention to the lowest priced competition. At least not pay attention to the small or new competition which have not taken care to professionally setup their operations. It seems every tech how has the idea to start his own company thinks he is going to undercut the market and steal always all the customers. I have seen many small startups price themselves out of business. I mean they are too cheap and even if they get the requisite business, cannot get enough revenues to sustain their company. Then new companies come in and also practice the art of followership thus set their prices at what they perceive is the going cheap rate and they all go off a cliff together like a stampeding herd of buffaloes.

I live in a semi-rural area – in the city I can be anywhere within 1/2 hour, even during our “rush hour”. I have several rural clients, which, as I live near the edge of town, I can get to just as quickly as I can to clients living cross-town. I charge a flat hourly rate, minimum 1 hour and charge in 1/2 hour increments, and include travel time (which is usually not a factor). For example, if I spend 15 minutes traveling and 1 hour on site, then I charge 1.5 hours; if I spend 15 minutes travel and 1/2 hour on site, I charge for an hour. However, if I spend 10 minutes travelling and 55 minutes on site, I only charge for one hour (one does need to use some discretion). In the end, it all evens out – I don’t even mention travel charges unless the time will be 1/2 hour or more.

I add half hour at my hourly rate as long as the drive doesn’t last longer than 1 hour for the two way trip.

Interesting to hear about the different ways you all handle travel. I could never have covered every possible method, so good to see people chiming in with their own personalized styles!

I think customers prefer to see a price breakdown for every cent charged. I like using the gas price to mileage formula. I feel that charging for traffic is unnecessary and traffic should be calculated and dealt with personally. Our customers should not have to pay for traffic. Calculate your routes according to traffic and time a day.

I charge a minimum 1 hour fee per visit. All my traveling across the city (Toronto) is by bicycle. Any job that it takes me less than 30 minutes to get to from my home I don’t charge a travel fee. Over than and I charge roughly half my hourly rate for the whole travel time (including return trip). All my customers are totally fine with this.

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Airlines are ordered to give full refunds instead of vouchers and to stop hiding fees

Travelers and their luggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in August 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

Travelers and their luggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in August 2023.

WASHINGTON — In an effort to crack down on airlines that charge passengers steep fees to check bags and change flights, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced new regulations aimed at expanding consumer protections .

One of the final rules announced Wednesday requires airlines to show the full price of travel before passengers pay for their tickets. The other will force airlines to provide prompt cash refunds when flights are canceled or significantly changed.

"Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them - without having to ask," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement announcing the new rules.

Taking on junk fees is popular. But can it win Biden more voters?

Surprise junk fees have become a large and growing source of revenue for airlines in recent years, according to the DOT.

"Today's announcements will require airlines to both provide passengers better information about costs before ticket purchase, and promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when they are owed — not only saving passengers time and money, but also preventing headaches," Buttigieg said.

The airline industry is unlikely to welcome the new rules. At a hearing on the proposed fee rule in March 2023, an industry lobbying group representing American, Delta and United said it would be too difficult for airlines to disclose their charges more clearly.

"The amount of unwanted and unneeded information forced upon passengers" by the new policy would only cause "confusion and frustration," warned Doug Mullen, the deputy general counsel at Airlines for America . "Very few, if any, need or want this information, and especially when they are initially trying to understand schedule and fare options."

But the DOT insists its new rule will give consumers the information they need to better understand the true costs of air travel.

Transportation Department cracks down on airline 'junk fees'

"I believe this is to the benefit of the sector as a whole," Buttigieg said in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition , because passengers will have "more confidence in the aviation sector."

The new rules require airlines to disclose all baggage, change, and cancellation fees, and to share that information with third-party booking sites and travel agents.

The regulation also prohibits bait-and-switch tactics, the DOT says, that disguise the true cost of flights by advertising a low base fare that does not include all mandatory fees.

"This is really about making sure that we create a better experience for passengers, and a stronger aviation sector in the United States," Buttigieg said in the NPR interview.

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Hahn Air Lines Agrees to Pay $26.8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Its Alleged Failure to Pay Travel Fees Collected from Passengers

            WASHINGTON – Hahn Air Lines GmbH, a privately owned company based in Germany, and its Minneapolis-based subsidiary Hahn Air USA, Inc. (collectively, “Hahn Air”) have agreed to pay $26.8 million to resolve allegations that Hahn Air violated the False Claims Act by knowingly failing to remit to the United States certain travel fees that Hahn Air collected from commercial airline passengers flying into or within the United States. 

          The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari for the Department of Homeland Security, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker for USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

          Hahn Air Lines GmbH operates as a commercial travel company whose primary business includes offering an electronic ticketing database that allows travel agencies worldwide to issue airline passenger tickets for travel on airlines based on agreements that Hahn Air Lines GmbH has with numerous commercial airlines located around the world.  Pursuant to its business model, Hahn Air Lines GmbH collects certain mandatory travel fees, including certain passenger fees that are owed to the United States. 

          The settlement resolves allegations that, from 2012 to 2018, Hahn Air allegedly knowingly and improperly avoided paying to the United States certain travel fees that Hahn Air had collected from airline passengers purchasing Hahn Air tickets.  These included Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection User Fees owed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Customs User Fees and Immigration User Fees owed to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fees owed to the Transportation Security Administration.   

          “Companies cannot pocket, for their own benefit, government taxes and fees that they collect from their customers,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves. “This settlement shows that companies that intentionally do so will face stiff penalties.”

          “Companies that benefit from air travel in the United States must pay their fair share of the costs associated with that such travel,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that we will protect the taxpayers by ensuring that those who are obligated to pay money to the United States, whether in the form of travel fees or other types of payments, are held accountable for what they owe."

          “I appreciate the continued partnership with the Justice Department’s Civil Division and our other law enforcement partners,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari for the Department of Homeland Security. “Today’s multimillion dollar settlement is a result of our collective efforts and demonstrates that the United States holds corporations accountable when they fail to comply with the law.”

          “Participation in Government travel business programs is a privilege and should not involve actors who seek to circumvent paying travel costs to the U.S. Government,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker for USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG).  “Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of the investigative team, the interests and integrity of the United States and the business process throughout Government continue to be protected. The USDA Office of Inspector General appreciates the commitment of the Department of Justice and the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners. Our resources are well utilized when we work together to investigate those who intend to defraud the U.S. Government. This resolution demonstrates that we are committed to holding businesses accountable when they choose to abuse the integrity of vital government programs.”

          The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery.  The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. MGSNOVA Advisory, LLC v. Hahn Air, Inc. et al,  No. 1:15‐cv‐02184 (D.D.C.).  As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblower will receive a total of approximately $4.8 million. 

          The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Offices of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Agriculture.  

          The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Richard W. Hagner of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

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New airline rules will make it easier to get refunds for canceled flights. Here's what to know.

By Megan Cerullo

Edited By Aimee Picchi

Updated on: April 25, 2024 / 12:56 PM EDT / CBS News

New consumer protection rules will soon entitle airline passengers to automatic refunds when flights are canceled or significantly delayed, while also requiring airlines to reveal  junk fees  upfront.

In total, the new rules could save travelers $500 million annually, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday, describing the regulations as "the biggest expansion of passenger rights in the department's history."

They take aim at some of the most common complaints against airlines, such as delays and difficulties getting refunds. Airlines will also have to disclose all possible fees, such as added costs for seat selection, when advertising a fare.

The regulations are likely to effect in October, officials said. Here's what to know about the new rules and what they mean for you.

You'll get an automatic refund for delayed or canceled flights

The first rule mandates that airlines promptly refund customers when flights are meaningfully disrupted or delayed. Airlines will have to refund customers the full ticket prices, including airline-imposed fees, as well as government taxes and fees.

In theory, passengers are already entitled to such refunds, but in practice airlines don't always provide them, Buttigieg noted. He said the new rule benefits infrequent fliers in particular, who may be less familiar with their rights. 

This rule will save customers the hassle of dealing with a chatbot or completing a cumbersome claims process to receive refunds they're entitled to anyway when flights don't take off as scheduled.

Airlines often offer customers compensation in the form of vouchers or miles with values that are less than the flight's original cost. And passengers often must engage with customer service agents or chatbots to secure refunds, which can lead them to give up on the process altogether, according to Buttigieg.

How long of a delay will qualify for a refund? 

The new rule defines what constitutes a "significantly changed" flight: a delay of at least three hours for a domestic flight, and at least six hours for an international flight. That was previously left to the discretion of the airline. 

The rule says passengers will get automatic refunds in those cases as long as they don't accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered by the airline.  

Passengers will also be entitled to refunds for other significant flight changes, according to the Department of Transportation. 

These changes include flights whose departure or arrival airports change, that add connections or downgrade passengers to a different level of service. If a flight requires a passenger with a disability to make a connection at an airport or on a flight that is less accommodating, that also qualifies for a refund.

How long will it take to get a refund?

Airlines will have seven days to automatically refund passengers who purchased their tickets with a credit card, and 20 calendar days for other payment methods, the Transportation Department said.

"No more defaulting to vouchers or credits when consumers may not even realize they're entitled to cash," Buttigieg said. 

Can I get a refund for delayed bags? 

Yes, checked bag delays are also covered. 

When bags aren't delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight's arrival at its gate, passengers will get a refund for their checked bag fee.   On international flights, bags that don't arrive within 15 to 30 hours, depending on a flight's length, are covered by the rule. 

What other refunds will be available? 

Airlines must also refund the costs of services customers paid for but then didn't receive on the flight, such as wifi, seat selection or in-flight entertainment, the Transportation Department said.

For instance, if passengers buy wifi access but it doesn't work properly, they are entitled to a refund for the service.

What is happening with surprise fees? 

Transportation officials also announced a second rule on Wednesday that targets "junk" or surprise fees, which are charges that aren't typically disclosed to a consumer ahead of purchase. 

Under the rule, airlines must disclose all fees the first time that airfare is advertised on an airline's site. Hyperlinks don't count, according to the agency.

The rule is designed to protect consumers against confusion caused by "drip pricing"  by requiring airlines to disclose how much these additional fees will cost up front. That includes amounts airlines charge consumers to check bags, carry on bags, select seats, and change or cancel flights.

The rule is designed to help make it easier for passengers to estimate the full cost of flying so they can make an informed purchase.

Are seats guaranteed if I buy a ticket?

Under the second rule, airlines will also have to make clear to customers that if they buy a ticket, they're guaranteed a seat — even if they don't fork over additional money to choose where on the plane that seat is located. 

How will I know I'm seeing the actual flight price?

The second rule also bars airlines from advertising artificially low prices that don't factor in mandatory fees. 

The Transportation Department said this will end "discount bait-and-switch tactics" that dangle deceptive discounts to convince travelers to buy tickets.

What do airlines say about the new rules?

Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. carriers, noted that refund complaints to the Transportation Department have fallen sharply since mid-2020. 

A spokesperson for the group said airlines "offer a range of options — including fully refundable fares — to increase accessibility to air travel and to help customers make ticket selections that best fit their needs."

The group said the 11 largest U.S. airlines issued $43 billion in customer refunds from 2020 through 2023.

While Buttigieg said airlines aren't "enthusiastic" about being held to a higher standard, he believes the new rules will build passenger confidence in companies and ultimately benefit the industry as a whole.

Buttigieg also said he hopes the new rules will push carriers to improve the consumer experience. For example, if an airline knows it will automatically owe customers refunds for canceled flights, it might invest more in precise scheduling, and ultimately reduce the number of cancellations overall. 

—With reporting by the Associated Press.

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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USDOT Alerts Passengers That Starting Today, Southwest Airlines Must Provide Compensation for Delays and Cancellations Within Their Control

DOT’s historic enforcement action against Southwest earlier this year requires the airline to provide $75 transferrable vouchers to passengers affected by delays and cancellations within the airline’s control that cause passengers to reach their destination three or more hours after their scheduled arrival time  

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is reminding passengers that starting today, Southwest Airlines must compensate them with a transferrable voucher worth at least $75 for any controllable cancellation or delay that causes passengers to reach their destination three or more hours after their scheduled arrival time. Southwest is required to provide this compensation as part of DOT’s recent historic enforcement action holding the airline accountable for its 2022 holiday meltdown that stranded millions of passengers across the country.

“After the 2022 holiday meltdown, our department held Southwest Airlines accountable—and now the airline is required to compensate passengers for lengthy delays and cancellations that they cause,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “We're pleased to bring these benefits to passengers, and further show the flying public that the Biden-Harris Administration has their back.”

When Compensation is Required Southwest is required to provide compensation if:

• A flight was cancelled or delayed within seven days of the scheduled departure date; 
• Passengers arrived at their destination three or more hours later than planned; and
• The delay or cancellation was caused by something that Southwest could control, such as a maintenance or staffing issue.

Passengers will not be eligible for compensation if the cause of the disruption was not within the airline’s control, such as bad weather.

How to Request Compensation

• Per the agreement with DOT, Southwest has created an easy-to-find online form (southwest.com/delayform) for passengers to request compensation. 
• Passengers must submit requests within one year from the date of the delayed/cancelled flight. 
• If passengers enter erroneous information on the form, they will get an error message, and a chance to edit and re-submit the required information 
• Southwest will respond to the customer via email within 30 days of receiving a voucher request form and if the consumer is eligible, Southwest will follow-up with a voucher for that consumer.  
• The vouchers will be transferrable and will be valid for at least one year after the date of issuance. 

DOT will be closely monitoring Southwest’s compensation program to ensure that passengers get the relief they are owed. The airline must submit an annual report to DOT every May for the next three years detailing the voucher expenditures.

In 2022, under Secretary Buttigieg’s guidance, DOT created an Airline Customer Service Dashboard known as FlightRights.gov to help airline passengers understand what they are entitled to receive when a delay or cancellation was within the airlines’ control and create  standards that the Department can enforce. DOT has updated the Airline Cancellation and Delay dashboard to reflect Southwest’s mandated compensation program.

Find more information on DOT’s $140 million enforcement action against Southwest Airlines for the 2022 holiday meltdown here .

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• Just last week, DOT announced two final rules that require airlines to provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed and protect consumers from costly surprise airline fees . These rules will significantly expand consumer protections in air travel, provide passengers an easier pathway to refunds when owed, and save consumers over half a billion dollars every year in hidden and surprise junk fees.
• As mentioned above, DOT launched the flightrights.gov dashboard, and now all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov.
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.
• DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect consumers from surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would: 

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, as the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations. 
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity. The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

Consumers may file an airline complaint with the Department here . 

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United airlines reveals a simple change to get you out of the middle seat.

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United Airlines has travelers flying out of the middle seat.

Passengers stuck with a middle seat at booking will automatically be moved to a window or aisle seat when one becomes available if they have noted a preference for those, The Points Guy reported .

In March, United began allowing travelers using the airline’s app to sign up for seat notifications that would let them switch based on availability.

It will also allow those who want more room to request being moved to an exit or bulkhead row.

Passengers will automatically have their seats changed and will be notified through the app.

The switch, which is free of charge, comes as airlines have been under fire in recent years for raising prices and adding extra fees , along with facing bad customer reviews and dangerous safety malfunctions .

United reported that about 3 million people use their app daily but hope the new feature will encourage new downloads and appease passengers.

The seat you’re assigned on a United flight won’t only impact how comfortable you are when you travel but will also dictate how you board the flight.

At the end of last year, United began prioritizing passengers in window seats during its plane boarding process.

After passengers with a view are seated, those in the middle and then aisle seats are allowed to enter the plane.

United previously used its boarding method — internally referred to as WILMA — until 2017, when it introduced basic economy seating and had a computer system that only supported a five-group boarding structure, a company spokesperson previously told The Post.

Since United stopped using WILMA, boarding times have increased by 2 minutes, according to an internal memo.

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Airline information

For your convenience, direct links to each City Pair Program’s participating airline carrier’s fees and policies for baggage, pet, and service animals are provided below. If travel is on an international flight with a codeshare partner of the airline, you must check the operating airline’s policy and fees. For further information or questions, reach out to the airline’s customer service.

Additional fees that may apply to your travel

To ensure you don't have any surprises on your next airfare bill, below are some fees that might be required.

Change fees

The airline carriers may charge a change fee to travel agents who do not reissue a ticket when a traveler makes a voluntary change to a ticketed transaction. This is a policy between the airlines and travel agents, and is not under the authority of the City Pair Program contract. Contact your travel management company for more information.

• If a travel agent does not change the record, the carrier won’t be able to determine if a flight is overbooked, or if additional monies should be collected or refunded as a result of the change.
• When the traveler checks in, that person’s record will not show the most recent changes, which may impact his/her ability to board a flight.
• The airlines are not charging the government for this change fee. Rather, the airlines are charging this fee to the travel agent; if, and only if, the travel agent does not reissue the ticket when a change is made after the ticket has been issued.
• The charge is not imposed when the travel agent reissues tickets to reflect voluntary changes.

Fuel surcharge

Due to the continued volatility in fuel costs, the City Pair Program is allowing airlines to assess a fuel surcharge to domestic or international contract fares after the surcharge has been in place commercially for a minimum of 14 consecutive days and:

• May not be higher than that imposed commercially.
• Will be assessed at the time of ticket issuance.
• Will be removed from the contract fares when it is no longer imposed commercially on the applicable fares in a market.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) fees

All ticketed or purchased travel as of July 21, 2014 includes a passenger civil aviation security service fee (security service fee), refer to the TSA's security fees page .

PER DIEM LOOK-UP

1 choose a location.

Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.

No results could be found for the location you've entered.

Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Territories and Possessions are set by the Department of Defense .

Rates for foreign countries are set by the State Department .

2 Choose a date

Rates are available between 10/1/2021 and 09/30/2024.

The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.

Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.

Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."

Per diem localities with county definitions shall include "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."

When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

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I-131, Application for Travel Document

ALERT: On Jan. 31, 2024, we published a  final rule in the Federal Register, that adjusts the fees required for most immigration applications and petitions. The new fees will be effective April 1, 2024.

Applications and petitions postmarked on or after April 1, 2024, must include the new fees or we will not accept them.

What to Know About Sending Us Your Form

The new filing fee is effective for filings postmarked April 1, 2024, and later. If you are filing an acceptable prior form edition on or after April 1, 2024, you must include the new filing fee.

Alert:  Beginning July 1, 2022, we will issue a new travel authorization document to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries: Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States, at our discretion if we find the beneficiary merits this authorization. We will no longer issue advance parole documents as evidence of our prior authorization for a TPS beneficiary to be permitted to reenter the United States if the beneficiary travels outside the United States.

Beginning July 1, 2022, we will issue a new travel authorization document to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries: Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States, at our discretion if we find the beneficiary merits this authorization. We will no longer issue advance parole documents as evidence of our prior authorization for a TPS beneficiary to be permitted to reenter the United States if the beneficiary travels outside the United States.

If you are a TPS beneficiary with an existing, unexpired advance parole document, you may continue to travel and seek reentry to the United States after a trip outside the United States through the period of validity printed on your advance parole document.

If you are a TPS beneficiary applying for a new travel authorization document, you should continue to use Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. If you have a pending Form I-131, you do not need to file a new application.

We will continue to issue advance parole documents to noncitizens with pending initial applications for TPS (Form I-821).

TPS beneficiaries and individuals with pending initial TPS applications should carefully read the Form I-131 Instructions which contain warnings about certain risks an individual may face if they are outside of the United States while USCIS is considering their TPS reregistration or initial application, such as missing important request for evidence or other notices or being denied TPS while outside the United States.

ALERT: Court decisions regarding DACA.

On Sept. 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a decision finding the DACA Final Rule unlawful and expanding the original July 16, 2021, injunction and order of vacatur to cover the Final Rule. However, the court maintained a partial stay of the order for “all DACA recipients who received their initial DACA status prior to July 16, 2021.” See the Memorandum and Order (PDF, 1.35 MB)  and Supplemental Order of Injunction (PDF, 72.53 KB) .

Accordingly, current grants of DACA and related Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) remain valid until they expire, unless individually terminated.  In accordance with this decision, USCIS will continue to accept and process DACA renewal requests and accompanying applications for employment authorization under the DACA regulations at 8 CFR 236.22 and 236.23, as it has since October 31, 2022. We will also continue to accept initial DACA requests, but in accordance with the District Court’s order, we will not process initial DACA requests.

Current valid grants of DACA and related EADs will continue to be recognized as valid under the Final Rule. This means that individuals with DACA and related EADs do not have to submit a request for DACA or employment authorization until the appropriate time to seek renewal.

Please see the  DACA Litigation Information Page  for important updates and information related to court rulings on the DACA policy.

Use this form to apply for a reentry permit, refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization document, advance parole document (including parole into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit), or advance permission to travel for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) long-term residents.

For information on travel documents, including potential immigration-related consequences of traveling outside the United States, see our Travel Documents page. If you are in the United States and you have an urgent need to travel outside the United States, see our Expedite Requests page and  Emergency Travel  page.

If you file this form to request an Advance Parole Document authorizing you to seek parole in the United States when you return to the United States after temporary travel abroad, and you depart the United States before we issue your Advance Parole Document, we will consider your Form I-131 abandoned unless you were previously issued an Advance Parole Document that remains valid for the entire time you are outside the United States.

If you file this form to request an advance permission to travel for CNMI long-term residents document, and you leave the CNMI without having an advance permission to travel document, your status will automatically terminate.

File Online    

Form Details

Form I-131 (PDF, 451.87 KB)

Instructions for Form I-131 (PDF, 285.07 KB)

04/01/24 . Starting June 3, 2024, we will accept only the 04/01/24 edition. Until then, you can also use the 06/06/23 E edition. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.

If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.

If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions . 

Please check our Filing Addresses for Form I-131  page for information on where to mail your application. Applications that are not submitted to the appropriate direct filing address may experience processing delays.

You can find the filing fee for Form I-131 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.  

The fee is effective for filings postmarked April 1, 2024, and later.

You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, or cashier’s check, or pay by credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions . If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request.  If you pay by credit card or debit card, you cannot later dispute the payment. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.

If you are submitting multiple forms, pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms.

Payment if you file at a field office: You cannot pay fees with a money order or cashier’s check when filing at a field office. You can only pay with a personal check, debit card, credit card, or reloadable prepaid credit or debit card.

You do not need to pay an additional fee for Form I-131 if:

• You are filing Form I-131 Application Type B or D;
• You filed a Form I-485 with a fee on or after July 30, 2007, and before April 1, 2024; and
• Your Form I-485 is still pending.

For refugee travel document applications filed from outside of the United States, you must pay the applicable fee(s) to the cashier at the USCIS overseas office or U.S. embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your location. Please see the website of the appropriate  embassy or consulate  to confirm acceptable forms of payment. Include the fee receipt from the U.S. embassy or consulate when you file your application package.

Please do not mail cash, personal checks or traveler’s checks. If you do not include a fee receipt with your filing, we will reject your application.

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-131. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Read more information about the types of evidence that may be relevant to specific parole requests on our  Humanitarian Parole  page.

Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

• Family Name
• Physical Address
• Date of Birth
• 1.a. – 1.f.
• Family Name (If 1.f. selected)
• Physical Address (If 1.f. selected)

Filing Tips:  Review our  Tips for Filing Forms by Mail  page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.

Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.

E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or text message that we have accepted  your form at a USCIS lockbox, complete  Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance , and clip it to the first page of your form.

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This webpage lists visa application fees and other visa related fees collected by Department of State. Note that many immigration-related forms are submitted to the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and not to the Department of State. If the type of information or form you are seeking is not shown here, select USCIS Forms and Fees  to go to the USCIS Website to review more.

Coming to the United States Temporarily - Nonimmigrant Visa Services

Nonimmigrant visa application processing fees are tiered, as shown below, based on the visa category for which you are applying.

Notice: Every visa applicant must pay the visa application processing fee for the visa category being applied for, unless the application fee is not required, as listed below .

Description of Service and Fee Amount (All fees = $ in US currency)

Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee (non-refundable) for all categories below

• Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visa (except E): $185.00

Includes (but not limited to), the following visa categories:

*Though petition-based nonimmigrant visas, the processing fee for these visas is $185.00

• Petition based visa categories: $205.00

Includes these visa categories:

• E - Treaty Trader/Investor, Australian Professional Specialty category visa: $315.00
• K – Fiancé(e) or Spouse of U.S. citizen category visa: $265.00

Border crossing card fees

• Border crossing card - age 15 and over (Valid 10 years): $185.00
• Border crossing card - under age 15; for Mexican citizens if parent or guardian has or is applying for a border crossing card (valid 10 years or until the applicant reaches age 15, whichever is sooner): $15.00
• L visa fraud prevention and detection fee - for visa applicant included in L blanket petition  (principal applicant only): $500.00
• The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-113) increases fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitioners.  Consular sections collect this fee for blanket L-1 visa applications (principal applicant only) filed by petitioners who employ 50 or more individuals in the United States if more than 50 percent of those individuals are in H-1B or L-1 nonimmigrant status: $4,500.00 

When the nonimmigrant visa application processing fee is not required:

• Applicants for A, G, C-2, C-3, NATO, and diplomatic visas (defined in 22 CFR 41.26): No Fee
• Applicants for J visas participating in official U.S. Government-sponsored educational and cultural exchanges: No Fee (See Exchange Visitor Visas for further detailed fee information.)
• Replacement of machine-readable visa when the original visa was not properly affixed or needs to be reissued through no fault of the applicant: No Fee
• Applicants exempted by international agreement as determined by Visa Services, including members and staff of an observer mission to United Nations Headquarters recognized by the UN General Assembly, and their immediate families: No Fee
• Applicants travelling to provide charitable services as determined by Visa Services: No Fee
• U.S. government employees travelling on official business: No Fee
• A parent, sibling, spouse or child of a U.S. government employee killed in the line of duty who is traveling to attend the employee’s funeral and/or burial; or a parent, sibling, spouse, son or daughter of a U.S. government employee critically injured in the line of duty for visitation during emergency treatment and convalescence: No Fee

Nonimmigrant visa issuance fee, including border-crossing cards.

• See the  Visa Reciprocity Tables  to find out the visa issuance fee amount, if applicable:  Fee varies (Reciprocal)

When the nonimmigrant visa issuance fee is not required:

• An official representative of a foreign government or an international or regional organization of which the United States is a member; members and staff of an observer mission to United Nations Headquarters recognized by the UN General Assembly; and applicants for diplomatic visas as defined under item 22(a); and their immediate families:  No Fee
• An applicant transiting to and from the United Nations Headquarters:  No Fee
• An applicant participating in a U.S. government sponsored program which may include applicant’s dependent spouse and children:  No Fee
• An applicant travelling to provide charitable services as determined by Visa Services:  No Fee

Other - When a Visa is Not Required - Visa Waiver Program

• Citizens of Visa Waiver Program participating countries, and meeting requirements pay a small fee. Select USCIS fees to learn more.

Coming to the United States Permanently - Immigrant Services

Immigrant visa application processing fees are tiered, as shown below, based on the visa category you apply for.

Notice: Every visa applicant must pay the visa application processing fee for the visa category being applied for.

Filing an Immigrant Visa Petition  (When collected by U.S. Embassies and Consulates for USCIS. Fees subject to change.)

Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fees (non-refundable, per person) 

Note: Forms and fee amounts are listed for immigration petitions which are submitted to Department of State, either accepted at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad, or within the United States to the National Visa Center or Kentucky Consular Center. Other immigration related forms can only be approved by the Department of Homeland Security's United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For other fees (relating to forms starting with an "I" select USCIS Forms and Fees for additional information.

Special Visa Services

Note:   These fee charts are based on the Code of Federal Regulations - Title 22, Part 22, Sections 22.1 through 22.7.)

More Information

A-Z Index Latest News What is a U.S. Visa? Diversity Visa Program Visa Waiver Program Fraud Warning Find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate Straight Facts on U.S. Visas

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