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LATEST STORIES
Don’t make customs agents’ jobs more difficult at the border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) presents this list of Holiday Season tips. Knowing what CBP needs travelers to know before getting to passport control and customs stations will make all international travel easier, less stressful, and more enjoyable.
Budget airlines want tax relief for jet fuel — but where’s yours?
Low-cost carriers are demanding tax relief from the Department of Transportation. Should they get it? The “base” fare you see on a travel site has always been a half-truth, at best. By the time you reach the final payment screen, government taxes and fees have bloated...
POLICY
Don’t make customs agents’ jobs more difficult at the border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) presents this list of Holiday Season tips. Knowing what CBP needs travelers to know before getting to passport control and customs stations will make all international travel easier, less stressful, and more enjoyable.
How to file consumer complaints and get compensation from airlines
Consumer protection notification and DOT airline complaint systems need improvement. We are still waiting for the second iteration of the DOT's new consumer complaints system. Now that the Trump Administration is in charge, expect more than a few delays. Improving the...
Six years ago, 73 percent of sick plane passengers would fly — flight changes were too costly. And today?
In a poll completed last week, almost 73 percent of passengers said they would fly even if they had the flu. More than half of those would fly because either change fees were too high or it was “to late” to make changes vacation plans.
Airline consumers really want to know the full cost of travel
Two recent stories distorted what consumers want when they buy airline tickets. Passengers really don’t care how many fees there are. Nor, do they hate ancillary fees. Consumers just want a way to see the full cost of travel prior to purchasing a ticket.
TRAVEL ADVICE
Budget airlines want tax relief for jet fuel — but where’s yours?
Low-cost carriers are demanding tax relief from the Department of Transportation. Should they get it? The “base” fare you see on a travel site has always been a half-truth, at best. By the time you reach the final payment screen, government taxes and fees have bloated...
Yes, for an important event you SHOULD fly in a day early
Sometimes an important event is impossible to get to by air. First, due to work, finances, family, or other issues, getting to a really important event early isn't possible, I get it. But often as a travel agent, I will have clients try to cut it close. Maybe they...
Allow comparison of airline prices and ancillary fees across airlines
Ancillary airline fees must be disclosed during the buying process to make the free market work. This talk was given in November 2013 before IATA's World Passenger Conference (to which no passengers seem to be invited to attend) held in Dublin, Ireland. The post has...
Smart hotel room syndrome: Is technology making your lodging unusable?
Daniel Oppliger navigated foreign airports, dealt with language barriers, and made it to his hotel in Lushui, China, only to be stumped by the TV remote at the Hilton Garden Inn. “I couldn’t figure out how to work the television,” he says. “I had to ask the concierge...
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Accomplishments
These accomplishments have been achieved by working closely with our members, national media, the travel industry, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Congress and many other agencies.
- Bi-partisan bill to eliminate hotel resort fees introduced into House of Representatives
- Creation of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections
- Advertised airfares now include airfare plus, mandatory taxes and fees
- Lost/damaged/delayed luggage compensation limit increased to $3,500
- Passengers have 24 hours to change or cancel their nonrefundable tickets without penalty
- Once an airfare is purchased, that airfare and ancillary fees cannot be increased
- Families flying together act passed by Congress that requires family members 13 years of age and younger to sit with other family members at no additional cost.
