Educate travelers about their airport and airline rights.
This one should be easy. Congress does not have to pass any bills. The DOT doesn’t need a rulemaking. The only thing we need from our government is the courage to defy the airlines and educate travelers.
Let passengers know their rights regarding compensation. Finally, Congress has directed the FAA and the DOT to do just this.
DOT rules and regulations are relatively simple but often hard to find. Airlines thrive on uninformed passengers regarding compensation for lost, damaged, and delayed checked baggage and overbooking. When delayed on international travel, the compensation rules are shrouded in mystery. It is the government’s responsibility to educate travelers about their rights.
Post the consumer compensation rules at airports.
Airline consumers are asking for information about rights as travelers to be posted at airports and on our computer-generated boarding passes and itineraries. This is not too much to ask. The airlines have been directed by Congress (after a 14-year effort by Travelers United and followed by additional pressure from other advocacy groups).
Recently, an airline told a friend that the 24-hour rule does not apply to a reservation made for next October, which was made only 10 hours earlier. That is false. The passenger did not know this basic right. As long as airlines are the only voice of authority, consumers can be at their mercy.
Educate passengers. Now we have legislation — though it isn not needed.
This action to educate consumers requires no new legislation—the requirement for airports to make public service announcements at the request of the Secretary of Transportation is part of current appropriations legislation. Plus, current denied boarding regulations say airlines should provide bumped passengers with a display FAA fun the rules in writing. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen.
How many passengers know they can receive up to $3,800 in compensation for domestic lost/delayed/damaged checked baggage? Posters at airports and a short statement of passenger rights would allow travelers a level playing field when faced with customer service breakdowns and basic misinformation during airline travel.
Only two domestic regulations call for passenger compensation. And, two international rules provide delay compensation.
Only two sets of domestic aviation rules provide compensation for domestic consumers — one European Union rule and the Montreal Convention.
These compensation rules should be part of every computer-generated boarding pass and itinerary. Post these at jetways and baggage carousels so that consumers know these limited rules of aviation travel.
● Compensation for lost/damaged/delayed baggage (domestic and international rules). Up to $3,800 for domestic flights and $1,600, more or less, for international flights.
● Denied boarding compensation. Airlines are permitted to overbook flights — sell more seats than they have available. When that occurs, consumers are due specific compensation — up to $1,550 for resulting delays of more than two hours.
● Honesty about delay compensation. (Delay compensation is available for international flights.) Montreal Convention rules apply to all flights and EU rules apply to all flights from Europe to the US and for European-carrier flights from the US to Europe. EU rule 261 says travelers on transatlantic flights delayed more than four hours are due compensation of Euros 600 — around $630 these days.
The FAA and DOT should do the right thing. Tell us our rights — and fine airlines for breaking rules.
Make sure the airlines comply with current regulations. Airlines have been caught lying about taxes and airline fees. DOT allowed them to get away with it because they only did it a couple of times. Try that excuse with the State Trooper who pulls you, a mere mortal, over for speeding.
One airline was caught mixing taxes and airline fees after being warned years ago by DOT to cease and desist. The government did not punish them. They should be smacked big time. This is a language the airlines understand.
Big fines are the only way to get airlines to follow the rules. We have seen that over and over again. How long will it take until DOT learns? These airline mistakes are not “small.” They affect thousands of passengers every day.
New FAA and DOT rules are expected by the late spring according to the new FAA bill.
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Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
