Severe air turbulence occurs during air travel. It has severely injured passengers. Prevent it by wearing your seatbelt. Last month, a WestJet Encore de Havilland Dash 8–400 was descending toward landing in Calgary on a flight from Seattle, Washington when it hit...
OK, call me neurotic (I call it cautious), but I’m suffering from upcoming trip anxiety. I call it the “washing machine syndrome.” I flip back and forth, trying to decide something. Some days the back and forth is so extreme that I have trip anxiety...
DOT regulations to protect airlines have become anti-consumer rules The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have made rules over the years that were designed to help the struggling airline industry. Keeping the industry...
Travel has changed since 2019. I’ve got ten easy prime tips for a pandemic journey today. The COVID pandemic has significantly abated in the U.S., but in Europe and Asia there’s been a large increase of COVID cases recently. This could be a harbinger for...
File comments with the CFPB about hidden fees for everything from airline tickets to hotel resort fees and concert tickets to banking fees. Let your government know you are tired of extra fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the CFPB) asks Americans to file...
DOT is failing to serve the public interest and openly serving the airline interests If anyone examines the founding documents of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the deregulation of the airlines through the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA), they will find...
COVID-19 has decreased, but the pandemic isn’t over. Many Americans believe the COVID-19 pandemic is over. They’re wrong. While the number of new daily cases is substantially down from January, in the U.S. alone, we continue to average more than 30,000...
As air travel is starting to rebound (at least domestically) low-cost carrier airfares are leading the way. Low-cost carrier airfares lead the way to recovery. They are also flying passengers with better overall load factors. Traditional carriers, even with a...
The world is suffering from biological and man-made problems that may destroy future travel. Questions about traveling during COVID-19 are bound to generate responses that will affect future travel. Some people have a greater tolerance for encountering the unknown...
US citizens traveling internationally sometimes encounter legal problems, medical emergencies, or a lost passport. It’s important to know what US embassy emergency services can be provided. Recently, Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for the US, was...
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.
