Bipartisan resort fees legislation is needed today. Just before the US Senate left for an August recess, two Senators, Democrat Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Republican Jerry Moran, introduced bipartisan resort fees legislation. It is the Hotel Fees Transparency Act,...
The airlines damage passenger wheelchairs and lose mobility devices at a rate of more than 200 a week. When airlines damage passenger wheelchairs, it’s as if they’ve taken away the passenger’s legs. Fixing the problem is long overdue. U.S. Senator...
Nine consumer advocacy groups sent a joint letter to Congress dealing with passenger protections. This letter deals with travelers’ urgent needs and priorities exacerbated by the pandemic. It also deals with passenger protections not finalized in the current bill....
Pay attention! If you do, you won’t end up like Allan Jordan. He’d overlooked a small but important detail. Pay attention! If you do, you won’t end up like Allan Jordan, who showed up for a recent Virgin Atlantic Airways flight from New York to London, only to...
Near monopolies make airlines anathema to good customer service. A story in the April 15, 2017, issue of The Atlantic started with these paragraphs. It dealt with customer service. That’s more than five years ago. A security guard stops a customer as she tries...
Arriving in a foreign nation by air is not difficult upon landing. However, crossing international land borders can be tedious and nerve-wracking. Crossing international land borders can be tricky. By air, if you have a passport valid for your destination and all...
Making passengers pay for advance booking ticket validity rules is not fair. Airline rules appear to be returning to a new normal after the pandemic years. While ticket validity extensions may be ending, the end-of-change-fees — at least for now — are staying. The...
Seat-swapping on airplanes can be a reasonable plea or a scam. I’ve got a dozen rules to help you decide when to swap. Seat-swapping between passengers has reached epidemic levels. The airlines have an ever-going campaign to squeeze more and more passengers into...
When you view and photograph animals in the wild, safety must be every traveler’s primary concern. Use these tips to help you remain safe on your wildlife adventures. Whether it’s Antarctica, Yellowstone, Greenland, the Everglades, the Galapagos, Svalbard,...
A common flight credit rule should replace all “secret” workarounds to get your money from airlines Recently, Christopher Elliott, on his non-profit site, steers consumers through the many “flavors” of airline ticket credits. The thought of...
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.
