Don't delay; cancel! Annals of airline regulations.

• Author: Mangu-Ward, Katherine
• Position: Citings - Brief article

ARE THREE hours of your time worth $27,500? If they're spent in an airplane on a tarmac, the U.S. Department of Transportation says they are.

In December the department announced that it would begin fining airlines per passenger for any tarmac delay lasting more than three hours. The fines, which took effect on April 29, mean that a delayed 747 jammed full of people headed to their summer vacations could cost the airline more than $13 million.

But there's a loophole in the new rules big enough to fly that 747 though: Ira flight is canceled, the fine does not apply. This means flight cancellations will become more common. Under the new rules, every flight that is delayed more than three hours on a U.S. runway is very...