# The Time is Money Act: What It Means for Airline Passengers

This bill makes it easier for airline passengers to get compensation when flights are significantly delayed or changed. Right now, the federal government only considers a domestic flight "significantly delayed" if it arrives more than three hours late. This bill would lower that threshold to two hours, meaning airlines would have to compensate passengers sooner. For international flights, the threshold would drop from six hours to five hours.

The practical effect is that if your flight is delayed by two to three hours domestically, you'd now qualify for compensation that you wouldn't have received under the current rules. Airlines are already required to provide compensation for significant delays—this bill just changes what counts as "significant." The Secretary of Transportation has 180 days after the bill becomes law to write the new regulations that make this change official.

This could affect millions of travelers who experience delays every year. Airlines might have to pay out more in compensation, which could potentially increase ticket prices or reduce their willingness to overbook flights. On the flip side, passengers would have stronger protections and more financial recovery when their travel plans go wrong. The bill essentially recognizes that a two-hour delay causes real problems for people—missed connections, lost work time, ruined plans—and deserves compensation just as much as a three-hour delay does.