US DOT fines six airlines to refund $600 million to passengers seeking pandemic refunds

The US Department of Transport (DOT) has ordered six airlines to refund over $600 million combined to travellers whose trips were canceled or significantly delayed since the start of the pandemic. The department has also fined the same airlines for over $7 million for delaying refunds so long that they violated consumer-protection rules. Frontier was ordered to pay $222 million in refunds and $2.2 million in penalties. TAP Portugal to pay $126.5 million as a refund and a $1.1 million penalty; Avianca was ordered to pay $76.8 million in the refund and a $750,000 penalty, while EI AI needs to