New DOT rules announced by President Biden and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg look to be a good thing for travelers. As I understand them, and the rules have just been announced, airlines will have to promptly refund travelers if they cancel a flight; if a...
These 15 rules of what not to do with checked luggage can prevent checked luggage problems if you follow them. I had dinner with a friend recently who told me that on a recent trip to Des Moines, when he checked his bag, he grabbed his receipt and stuffed it into his...
Over the last year, Travelers United has closely monitored and participated in the debate regarding the perimeter rule that governs Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). For those unfamiliar with the issue, DCA is the only airport in the country that...
The FAA must overhaul its aircraft flight data collection to preserve flight data. Make it available even if the black boxes are damaged, unrecoverable, or erased. The NTSB can still fully investigate incidents and accidents. In recent months, we’ve read about...
Would you break a rule for a cheaper airline ticket? Susan Stevens did when she booked a hacker fare from Vienna to Frankfurt. A round-trip ticket costs hundreds of dollars less than a one-way ticket. So she bought a round-trip fare.“After I landed, I threw the return...
Check off these 25 checklist steps — they will ensure you have a smooth vacation and an undamaged home on your return. Before you leave home for vacation, create a departure checklist. Then check off each step as you complete it to make your journey easier and keep...
Travelers United is fully committed to truth in travel advertising. As a consumer protection organization focused on travel, an increasing concern we have heard over the last few years is that people are confused about the travel content they see on social media. Big...
The time is overdue for the airlines to be held responsible for not following FAA regulations by not denying visibly drunk passengers from boarding and serving visibly drunk passengers inflight. Last July, a parent of a 16-year-old daughter filed a federal lawsuit...
Foreign carriers are insulting consumers worse than US carriers. For all that Americans in the travel industry and frequent travelers regularly complain about US carriers, the fact remains that sometimes foreign carriers are insulting consumers with everything from...
Don’t shrug when hotels have room problems and resort fees that are upsetting. Complain, write an online review and don’t return unless the hotel fixes their problems. I wrote about my hotel pet peeves last fall, but with recent hotel stays being the...
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.
– Removal of restaurant fees from DC area eateries — this is an ongoing project
– Creation of DOT Dashboard to outline consumer rights after cancellation of a flight
– 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 $3,800
– 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.
