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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.

Travelers who paid all federal airline taxes when they bought tickets on or before July 22, 2011, for travel beginning on or after July 23, 2011, now might get a refund since the taxes have expired.  The refunds are due after Congress failed to pass legislation funding the Federal Aviation Administration and stopped collecting taxes that expired at midnight Friday. Until things are resolved, airlines can’t collect the taxes on tickets sold after July 23, and the government isn’t authorized to collect the taxes on tickets sold before that time if people who bought those tickets travel during the shutdown period.

The IRS is asking airlines to handle the refund process, but they aren’t required to, and most are directing customers directly to the IRS, which says it is still working on a procedure for handling refunds.  Jetblue is the only major airline accepting requests for ticket tax refunds.

In the meantime, CBS News reported that instead of passing the tax savings (on new ticket purchases) onto the consumer in the form of lower ticket prices, most airlines have raised their fees to make up the difference.  Only Alaska, Hawaiian, and Spirit Airlines seem to be sticking to their normal pricing.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• JetBlue is selling a three-month pass for unlimited flights to help win business passengers after the peak season ends for U.S. vacation travel.  The so-called BluePass covers trips from Boston or Long Beach, CA to certain markets from Aug. 22 through Nov. 22 with no blackout dates.  Prices range from $1,299 to $1,999 for three service options based on origination and destination airports.

• If you’ve ever been interested in traveling to destinations outside of the U.S., now may be your opportunity to do it without breaking the bank. Air New Zealand is currently offering incredible rates on round-trip flights originating from Los Angeles and San Francisco. There’s also stellar deals on round-trip flights to destinations across Europe that will be expiring very soon. Or if you’re interested in Hong Kong or Beijing, there’s discounts available if you book by August 1st.