Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar told Cheddar on Tuesday that Americans need cash from canceled flights to provide immediate relief, but airline executives have not responded to the call. 

In a letter to 11 major airlines, nine Democratic senators, including Klobuchar, wrote "we believe your company has a moral responsibility to provide real refunds, not travel vouchers, to consumers, and to support State Department efforts to repatriate any American citizens trying to come home."

"We're waiting to hear back from them," Sen. Klobuchar said. "Obviously many of them have canceled fees and other things. Or they have proposed to give customers the ability to use it to buy another ticket in the future." 

But with Congressional help, those senators think money should go back into the pockets of customers. 

Klobuchar said "we think it is much more important to get the cash to the customer knowing that they're going to fly again when this is over" than to provide credits for travelers. 

Last week, Congress passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package that includes $25 billion in cash grants and $25 billion in loans to the airlines. 

Her Democratic colleague Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on Twitter "the airline industry got $25 billion to keep workers on payroll — but they're not the only ones hurting for money right now." 

American Airlines said in a response that the "comprehensive travel waivers we've put in place are designed to meet the full range of our customers' needs." 

Share:
More In Business
Federal Reserve: Inflation Is, Uh, Still Up
An inflation gauge favored by the Federal Reserve increased in January, the latest sign that the slowdown in U.S. consumer price increases is occurring unevenly from month to month. (Getty Images)
Is 2024 the Most Affordable Year to Buy a New Car?
After years of price increases for cars and trucks in the United States, costs are slowing and in some cases falling, helping cool overall inflation and giving frustrated Americans more hope of finding an affordable vehicle.
Missed Out on Nvidia? Consider These 5 Chip Stocks Instead
Missed out on the Nvidia wave? Oh course you did — you’re reading this article aren’t you, instead of luxuriating on a white-sand beaches of Bali. But here are at least four other promising semiconductor stocks to add to your portfolio.
Load More