More consumer protections on tap for air travelers

Today, DOT proposed further consumer protections for air travelers. These are in addition to our recent rule putting an end to long tarmac delays and deceptive airline practices.

Today's proposed rule adds a number of new protections to help ensure that airline passengers can expect reasonable treatment when they fly.

This DOT means consumer protections for air travelers

For example, our rule would:

• Increase compensation for passengers involuntarily bumped from flights
• Allow passengers to make and cancel reservations within 24 hours without penalty
• Require full and prominently displayed disclosure of baggage fees, as well as refunds and expense reimbursement when bags are not delivered on time
• Require fair price advertising
• Prohibit price increases after a ticket is purchased
• Mandate timely notice of flight status changes

Quite simply, we think airline passengers have rights, and we want to raise the bar for airlines when it comes to treating passengers fairly.

You should know what this buys you and what it will really cost

One way to meet that raised bar is for airlines to make it easier for consumers to know how much they will really have to pay for their air transportation. That just seems like the right thing to do.

So, if the airline you're buying a ticket on requires a separate baggage fee to check your first one or two bags, you must be notified. The rule also would prohibit air carriers from raising baggage fees on flights for which you've already made a reservation without providing special notice.

With our proposed rule, potential compensation for being involuntarily bumped from a flight would reach $650 if the carrier arranges substitute transportation scheduled to get you to your destination within one to two hours after originally planned. For international flights that window is one to four hours.

If the substitute transportation is scheduled to arrive more than two hours later than your original schedule for a domestic flight, the potential compensation is $1,300. For international flights that window is four hours or greater.

This rule also adds to our April tarmac-delay rule by expanding the contingency planning requirement to include foreign airline operations at US airports and all carriers operating at small and non-hub airports. And it adds to the delay-reporting requirements of the April rule.

Now, when we propose new rules, they are open for comment. And that means anyone can read the rule and let us know what you think.

We're working hard to make putting your two cents in as easy as possible; that's what President Obama's open government initiative is all about. So, we've added this proposed rule to our user-friendly Regulation Room, an online partnership with Cornell eRulemaking that makes your participation that much easier.

Please visit the Regulation Room in the next 60 days and let us know what you think of our proposed consumer protections for air travelers.

This DOT--government that works, government at your service.

Comments

[H Page]

Mr. LaHood, Thank you for the effort. Much appreciated. In addition, please promulgate a regulation that will require the airlines to allow us to buy and sell airline tickets on a secondary market. The reason the airlines disallow this -- "security" -- is specious at best. Jet Blue could sell airline tickets on Ebay, why can't we? Your assistance in this matter is appreciated.

[David Starr]

I do appreciate that something is being done to protect our rights as passengers but unless I'm missing something, I don't see any protection for victims of cancelled flights.
I have been stuck in airports/cities too many times by this practice and I am sure I'm not being singled out. I see and hear more and more horror stories where return or connecting flight passengers find their flights cancelled in mid-trip. The last time this happened to me, it took my carrier (Continental) 3 days to get me on a flight home. They claimed to be having aircraft difficulty but we all know their only difficulty was in filling the plane.
Some passengers on my cancelled flight were rebooked same day. I was told that because I had a discounted ticket (that Continental sold me)I did not qualify.
Trust me when I say that if I had been told that my discount ticket could cost me 3 days in Atlanta, against my wishes, I would have certainly opted out of the discount.
Call me silly but it seems to me that it should be considered criminal to fly someone across the country and strand them there. Is a round trip ticket not a contract? Are airlines just allowed to leave me me anywhere they please if their sales figures fall short of goals?

[P Lauer]

What makes you think airlines are finding alternative flights when they cancel? Have you flown lately? We had a flight cancelled (nonstop) and there wasn't even a notice given! I had a family function to get to that day, and their only offer was to put me on a flight with two connections that got me there a good 8 hours later. Their attitude was take it or leave it. Even two hours later is unacceptable. In the end, we had to fly to a different city and find our own transportation from there.

[Jose F.]

Mr. LaHood; Thank you so much for standing up for the little guy, the average person. I believe you have pi*&^ off a lot of airline executives and good for you sir. Finally someone that is willing to standby the flying public.

Thank You Sir.

[OkiAndrew]

It is a shame that the airline industry has abused their customers so much that these protections are needed in the first place. Unfortunately, the options for long distance travel (particularly for business travelers) are limited. Amtrack tends to take 2-3 times as long as driving, leaves at odd hours, and doesn't run on a daily basis. Driving isn't normally an option for business travelers (a 250 mile round-trip using the standard IRS rate for 2010 is over $250, so you start to eclipse the cost of an airline ticket pretty quick). Better options (high speed rail, perhaps) are severely needed.

[Michael E. Bailey]

This is great news. Airline passengers have needed increased rights. Before your administration at DOT, airline passengers had much fewer rights and airlines were pretty much free to treat passangers as they wanted. That is changing and its terrific to see the positive changes being made. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Kathy Parker]

Finally, and at last! It is apparent that when the airline industry is allowed to police itself, the consumer suffers. It as if they view passengers as cargo.

Your recent changes are long overdue. By raising the financial penalties, the airlines will take note.

Overbooking is a huge problem with aircraft running at capacity. Often when booking a ticket, you are unaware that you have no seat assignment until after purchase; without a seat assignment you can be bumped.

By making the airline display the baggage fees as part of the fare, they can no longer advertise misleading fares

[Jerry J.]

I am a reporter, who travels with camera equipmet valued at about $15,000. The problem is that some airlines won't let me take my camera bag as a carrry-on even though it is "airline approved." Should they damage my camera after forcing me to check it, which happeened last year, they refuse to pay to repair or replace my equipment. If the airlines are going to charge me for my bag, force me to gate check it because the cabin is too full, then they shoud be responsible for any loss or damage. Coicnidentally, when they gate check my cameras they don't refund their carry-on fee.

[Jay]

We definately need more of this kind of legislation that addresses real problems.

[duncan]

The CEO of Spirit Airlines says he and Spirit are not responsible for getting your bags to the destination, just your body. He can sell your bag for $10 to an Alabama store.

DOT must stop this practice!! All baggage must have an interior label.

How easy it must be to tear off the outside label,,,and sell your bag !!

[duncan]

Oh, and airlines can no longer profit from being irresponsible and losing your bags.
An automatic $100 fine if the bag is late 15minutes or more,,,and an automatic $1000 fine if your bag is 'lost'. We must have learned, by now, that businesses will not do the right thing unless heavily regulated and FINED FOR EVERY MISTAKE.

[F. I. Stanziale]

Mr. LaHood, thank you for your fine efforts. It is time that the flying public's needs are being considered. I support many of the proposals being considered. however the payments for bumped passengers is reasonable, the arrival delay is not. I say this since we also need protection for connecting flights that might be missed because of being bumped. In most cases the delay becomes the responsibility of the passenger. The ticket may no longer be honored since the flight connecting flight was missed. We need protection from beginning of the journey to the end of the journey which should be the responsibility of the airlines to make all the necessary arrangements and pay all the costs and penalties. Thank you and the your staff for the interest you have shown in the flying public.
Alstan

[Suzanne]

our family was bumped involuntarily for three days in mexico. we arrived at the airport two and a half hours prior to boarding our United Airlines flight and yet we were still turned away despite pleading and tears. We explained the importance of returning home on time. We informed them that one of our passengers needed medication. Our teenager had academic exams to meet. Our dog was going to be returned home and would be left alone for days. we had contracted jobs to begin. Payroll for employees needed to be reported.On and on. The kids were terrified of being stranded in Mexico given recent attacks on Americans and have refused to ever fly again. On and on. No offers of compensation were made by the airline and no written notice of our rights were given. It didn't occur to me until now that it might have been our discounted fare which targeted the four of us for denial.I intend to contact my attorney.