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LATEST STORIES
Department of Homeland Security changed the deadline for REAL ID? Now it is May 7, 2025.
On May 7, 2025, REAL ID to get past airport security is changed again. We were headed into the final winter before Real ID goes into effect. Domestic air travel has significantly recovered from pandemic lows. That's put pressure on airlines. In recent months, the...
Passengers need an official DOT legal policy
Passengers need a set of judicial rules and precedents for effective litigation in front of DOT. The Department also needs rules about the speed of resolution and how complaints will be handled.
POLICY
Passengers need an official DOT legal policy
Passengers need a set of judicial rules and precedents for effective litigation in front of DOT. The Department also needs rules about the speed of resolution and how complaints will be handled.
Why airline consumers have the rights of Medieval serfs
Aviation consumers rights litigation is strictly limited to DOT and the federal court system. Passengers must first petition the lords of the Department of Transportation (DOT) for redress. Like Medieval serfs, airline passengers have been denied access to the legal system. That should change.
How airline passengers are deceived by seat reservation games
As the airlines have begun unbundling their airfares, many seats now require paid reservations. On some flights, I have seen every aisle seat and every window seat tagged with an extra fee, anywhere from $25-$43 and more. Airline seating rules are an airline seat reservation games mess.
How to file in small claims court for airline disputes
During the current coronavirus pandemic, the airlines have been violating DOT regulations and their own contracts of carriage. This is a situation where consumers do not have to deal with federal courts. Contract violations can be brought against the airlines in small claims courts.
TRAVEL ADVICE
How to avoid electronic toll collection penalties
More and more travelers on the nation’s highways during this pandemic are finding tolls on roads that have no system for manual toll collection — only electronic toll collection systems. Out-of-state traveler without a local FastPass, EZ-Pass, SunPass, or other local toll-collection passes should not be penalized.
What makes alternate airports so useful?
Alternate airports are airports that are close enough to your destination that airlines consider them co-located for emergency scheduling. Often when faced with delays, passengers can request one of these alternate airports. Plus, these smaller airports have smaller crowds and, many times airfare savings.
4 little airline jargon words that have important meanings
The airline industry has more jargon than most. Some of the airline jargon doesn’t really matter much unless you’re an employee or a travel agent. However, small words can be important, very important.
Sixteen easy pre-trip tips for a stress-free journey preparation
I have 16 easy-to-use pre-trip tips to protect your home and its contents from thieves and other serious problems while traveling. I've got sixteen pre-trip tips to help you prevent crime and other potential disasters from happening at your home while you're...
CORONAVIRUS
Why passengers need common airline flight credit rules
We need common airline flight credit rules for airfare refunds and flight credit protection. The pandemic refund issue has been screwed up for consumers since the beginning. It is a major issue with more than $10 billion in outstanding flight credits, estimated by the...
America needs more international travel, today more than ever
Why are Americans shaking in their boots and fighting each other while there is an international push to normalcy again? I just returned from a month in Italy. Other friends of mine live in France and Spain. Yet other international travel analysts traveled from the...
Easy to get a COVID test before flying? CDC should try to do it!
Finding COVID tests in Europe is real work. I've been in Venice for the past three weeks. I have been asked repeatedly about how Americans returning home can get their COVID test before flying. At first, I said it was easy, just like the CDC. Then I learned that...
Why ending mask mandates probably won’t end air rage
Mask mandates are not the only problems that airlines face. This point is not about the third rail, or perhaps I should say, the middle seat, of arguing airline mask mandates. As of the time of writing, mask mandates are gone. And even had a judge not struck down the...
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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.
