The DOT is keeping the heat on the airline industry. This time United Airlines has been slammed with a $30,000 fine for not posting full taxes for flights on its Website. United claims programming error.
It’s nice to see the airlines hoisted on their own petard and treated the same way by the DOT as United Airlines and other airlines treat passengers when it comes to change fees and correction fees with computer errors. We have all suffered from “programming errors” but the airlines cut us no slack.
According to news reports a United spokesperson claimed, “Immediately upon learning of the programming error United took action to move the tax to the base fare.”
Too bad. Thousands of passengers using online systems have made inadvertant errors and then to “immediately” change the error by calling the airline or the online help line. The normal response is “tough luck.” We can change the error for a price.
This fine is a bit sweeter because United Airlines was already fined $70,000 last August. They paid half of the fine and were on a one-year parole for the other half. If they didn’t have another advertising error within 12 months, the second half of the fine would be forgiven. With this error, United now has to fork over $67,500.
Go get ’em, DOT.
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.
