It’s a frustration that many frequent fliers know—that sinking feeling when your flight safely arrives at its destination, but your checked bag is nowhere to be found.

Now, federal regulators are working to ease at least some of the irritation of this all too common scenario. Under a new proposed rule from the Department of Transportation, U.S. airlines would have to refund travelers’ fees when checked bags are significantly delayed.

Current regulations say that airlines are only compelled to refund passenger bag fees when checked luggage is lost. Under the new rules, fliers would get their money back when bags are delayed beyond 12 hours for domestic flights and beyond 25 hours for international flights.

If passed, the new rule would be a major win for consumers. In recent years, airlines have steadily raised fees for checked baggage, with the average price for the first checked bag clocking in at $30. U.S. airlines made a collective $5.7 billion off bag fees in 2019—making luggage one of the industry’s most lucrative charges. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, nearly 2 million bags were reported as mishandled by airlines in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available.

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