Bad airline behavior is rampant but it results in no fines. Passenger fines are $1 million records.
Domestic aviation fines are at an all-time low. This, even as airlines lie to customers and withhold refunds. Plus, the airlines make schedule changes at the last minute and charge families to sit together. And, airlines keep passengers waiting on hold for as much as eight hours to refund their flight credits or make simple changes to flights.
Travelers United informed DOT that this is absolutely wrong. For the past five months, communicating with DOT’s enforcement office, Travelers United urged that DOT force airlines to accept consequences for their inaction. They lied and directly violated regulations. We need DOT to assess aviation fines.
Let me make it clear. Travelers United does not condone violence, nor do we condone fining only passengers for acts caused by mistreatment by airlines and government agencies.
Making matters worse — airlines received more than $60 billion from Congress. Passengers get only grief, excessive fines, and eventually, a big tax bill.
The CARES Act debate excluded consumers. Travelers United was the only consumer advocacy organization working for passenger-friendly changes. The act eventually became an unemployment bill on steroids. Travelers United proposed that airlines establish a sick passenger rule, but our suggestion was dismissed. Both House and Senate committee staffers informed us that the bill was in the hands of congressional leadership. No changes could be made unless approved by the leadership.
So, in the end, passengers received nothing and the airlines received about $60 billion. The airlines win and the passengers lose three times.
How do we explain the dramatic increase in incidents by the FAA? Travelers United believes that passengers get the short end of the straw. Travelers find themselves treated like second-class citizens and worse than dogs.
Will FAA-proposed fines stop unruly behavior on planes?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) actions will never work.
- With no airline fines, no court in the country will uphold these passenger fines.
- The proposed FAA fines are simply excessive.
- Passengers can claim extreme provocation.
- Causes of unruly behavior are never mentioned. In the courts, airlines and the DOT and FAA will find themselves held accountable to some extent.
- The actual cases of real violence can, from reports, be counted on one or two hands.
- Any time people are squeezed into small spaces aggressiveness is exacerbated.
- Much of the problems with long lines are caused by the government. Airline actions are indirectly affected by CDC, Presidential, FAA, and DOT decrees. Passengers are directly affected by TSA staffing.
There are certainly more avenues that aggrieved passengers can use to make sure that the FAA does not collect anything near a million dollars.
These excessive fines are one more DOT/FAA misstep
When DOT does not fine airlines for any coronavirus transgressions, they lose believability. I understand the DOT’s explanation that they are more interested in getting money refunded to passengers than they are in getting into a courtroom. However, there must be consequences for the violation of rules. And consequences for attempted changes of the contract of carriage provisions.
When United Airlines, without penalty, attempts to change contract of carriage issues several times in order to not pay passengers what is due, there should be consequences. When airlines lie to customers about cash refunds, claiming only airline scrip is due according to law, there should be consequences. And when it requires a DOT Enforcement Memorandum to get airlines to follow the law, there should be consequences.
Speaking of consequences: DOT should fine airlines with the same equity that they fine the public. With a $15,000 individual fine based on an average US family income of $80,000, airline fines should average at least half a million dollars apiece for each transgression. For airlines that would be a bargain compared to what the FAA proposed fines for passengers are.
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.
