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The Department of Transportation is postponing some of the airline passenger protections scheduled to take effect this month after airlines and travel agents said they needed more time to implement the changes.

Now, airlines won’t have to list extra fees until January. Some new rules will go into effect this month for airlines in attempt to make traveling a little more pleasant on passengers. Others you’ll have to wait for. The Department of Transportation has granted airlines an extension to get together the rules to take effect later this month.  Here is a list of some of the new regulations that will be implemented:

1.) Passengers bumped from flights will get greater compensation.  $650 if the airline can get you there with in 1 to 2 hours of your originally scheduled flight, or up to $1300 if you delay is lengthy.

2.) Foreign flights on a tarmac for longer than 4 hours must deplane.

3.) Airlines must refund any baggage fee for lost luggage and post any change to those fees on their website for three months.

However, as part of the extension, airlines won’t have to post extra fees on website until January. In January, airlines will be banned from raising fees after the purchase and must provide timely notice of delays and cancellations.  And they will be required to disclose the full ticket price so you can finally separate fees from taxes.

Some airlines are suing over the changes. Allegiant, Spirit and Southwest have filed suit saying the changes violate their rights.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Southwest Airlines and other major carriers have rolled back fare increases they imposed in late July. The increases went into effect on July 22nd when the FAA’s taxing authority lapsed amid a Congressional stalemate.  The increases were roughly equal to taxes on most routes, so consumer may not have not have noticed the changes, but it wasn’t until August 8th, it wasn’t clear that airlines would rescind the increases once FAA taxes resumed.  Southwest led the rollbacks the evening of August 7th, and was joined by Delta and American Airlines early on the 8th.

• The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) and the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) today began operating the first test site for the Known Crewmember program at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.  Known Crewmember, a new enhanced security-screening program for airline crew members, positively verifies a pilot’s identity and employment status, strengthening aviation security and shortening screening lines for passengers. The TSA is also working toward launching a “trusted traveler” program that will offer reduced security screening for airline passengers who register and agree to release some personal information and undergo a background check. The passenger program will start this fall at two airports, with more sites and airlines phased in over time.

• Lengthy delays for passengers on airport tarmacs are on the increase. According to the latest data from the Transportation Department, fourteen flights sat on tarmacs for more than three hours in June compared with only three in June 2010.  It was the second month in a row that the number of three-hour delays reached double-digits since a new Transportation Department rule took effect in April 2010. The rule can lead to fines of up to $27,500 per passenger for tarmac delays that last more than three hours.

The government plans to announce today a new set of passenger protections to address travelers’ growing frustration over airline fees.

Among the rules, airlines must clearly state baggage fees in advertisements and on their Web sites. Other provisions increase the amount carriers must pay passengers who are involuntarily bumped from flights — from up to $800 to as much as $1,300 for the longest delays.

They also require the airlines to refund checked baggage fees if luggage is lost, and require airlines to promptly notify customers of delays over 30 minutes.

The provisions also impose a four-hour limit on time spent on the tarmac for delayed international flights, expanding a policy that has been in place for domestic flights for approximately a year.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Southwest Airlines raised all of its round-trip ticket prices by $10 yesterday – which may spark an industry-wide domestic airfare hike.  If so, this would be the seventh time this year that domestic airlines have raised their fares.

• Long lines, mobs of people, delays and invasive security measures can make for a stressful experience at the airport.  The New York Daily News recently outlined some simple steps that you can take that make the airport experience a little less hairy.  Give it a read.

• Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Detroit are just a few cities pursuing the trend of trying to build an “aerotropolis” – or a small city around their airport.  The vision is for aviation authorities to partner with private companies to cohesively and systematically develop land near their airports to attract office space, warehouses, logistical centers, retail stores, recreational facilities and apartments. Officials see aerotropolises as a way to boost non-avaiation revenue.  Real estate projects promise a steady stream of rent and parking fees that can offset declining income from tight-fisted airline tenants.

Google announced on their blog today that they’re partnering with Virgin America to provide free WiFi on every Virgin America flight between November 10, 2009 and January 15, 2010.

“Whether it’s using Gmail to confirm an airport pick up time with your brother, doing some last minute gift shopping for your niece on Google Product Search or searching Google.com for a good sweet potato pie recipe before touchdown — we hope this makes it a bit easier to stay connected with family and friends while you’re up in the air.

You can find out more about our partnership, where Virgin America flies and how the in-flight WiFi service works at www.freeholidaywifi.com.”

Virgin America currently serves 10 major markets, including San Francisco (SFO), Boston (BOS), Ft. Lauderdale (FLL), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Orange County (SNA), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA), Washington-Dulles (IAD).

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• The Detroit Free Press reports that Northwest Airlines is changing nearly all of its current flight numbers this week – so be sure to confirm your Northwest Airlines flight number before heading to the airport.  The changes are due to the takeover by Delta Air Lines and go into effect Saturday (10/26) for international flights and Sunday, Nov. 1st for domestic flights.

• AirTran Airways is expanding its mobile device options for customers to help manage their air travel. The expanded mobile Web services will allow flyers to book flights and change or cancel travel plans using their mobile devices, according to an AirTran release. The new services complement existing ones offered by AirTran, including being able to view flight status and check in for flights.

• JetBlue said today that its expanding its service at Boston’s Logan International Airport.  The New York-based carrier said that five daily nonstop flights from Boston to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport will begin on March 1, 2010.

• There was an interesting debate carried out in a recent edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in which Kate Hanni, the Executive Director of FlyersRights.org, and James May, President and CEO of the ATA, offered their perpsective on the proposed legislation for a  “Passenger Bill of Rights”.   Give it a read and comment here to let us know which side of the debate you fall on.

• If you’re interested in capturing information on hotels in nearly any city or town in the United States , visit Yapta’s new hotel browse pages.  You’ll find background on hotels from Abbeville, AL to Worland, WY.