The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that a parliamentary committee is calling for tougher rules that cover how airlines treat passengers, including imposing higher fines for mistreatment and streamlining the complaints process. The Globe's Eric Atkins writes that the House standing committee on transport on Tuesday released a report with 21 recommendations aimed at improving the regulations that outline when customers are entitled to refunds and compensation if flights are cancelled or delayed, and baggage lost. The rash of poor airline service and delays at airports over the past year have underscored the weaknesses of the current rules. The recommendations released on Tuesday include: passengers automatically get compensated for delays or cancellations; a review of airlines' ability to rely on "safety" as a reason to cancel a flight and avoid compensating passengers; and airlines be required to show why a passenger should not be compensated for a delay or cancelled flight. The committee also recommended increasing the fines for violating the passenger rules so that "the cost of violating the regulations is higher than the costs of abiding by them," but did not specify an amount.