The battle for passenger rights has been going on for a long time, and the Department of Transportation has announced some good news for travelers.

Here’s what you need to know…

There are three major areas where the airlines will have to improve: delays, baggage and transparency.

Right now, domestic carriers face huge fines if they sit on the tarmac for more than three hours.

Under the new rules, international airlines are limited to four hours on the tarmac, and must provide food and water every two hours.

The other good news: you’ll no longer have to pay the airlines to lose your bag. OK, the checked-bag fees are still in place, but if the airline loses or destroys your bag, you get that money back.

And, this is one of my favorites: Airlines will now have to disclose all hidden fees and taxes to passengers on their Web sites.

And last, but not least, the DOT has doubled the amount of compensation for passengers who are involuntarily bumped.

Air travel is far from perfect, but at least these are some steps in the right direction.

For more, check out DOT’s New Air Travel Rules Explained.

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And check out the rest of our Daily Travel Tips here.