The United States government announced new passenger protections Wednesday that will go into effect in August. The new rules are meant to protect travelers from losing their luggage, being bumped from flights, or experiencing long tarmac delays.

A new mandate will allow the government to levy fines against airlines that hold international flights on the tarmac for more than four hours. A three hour limit on tarmac delays is already in place for domestic flights.

Concerning mishandled baggage, the Department of Transportation announced that airlines will have to refund bag fees for luggage that is lost due to airline error.

Another provision ups the amount that passengers can be compensated for being bumped off of oversold flights. Currently, passengers can receive between $400 and $800 for the inconvenience. Under the new rule, those limits will be raised to $650 and $1,300. The new rule also forces airlines to disclose all fees and taxes associated with advertised sale prices.   

Source: MSNBC