DOT fines are laughable. It is like “the emperor has no clothes!” Why is airline customer service so bad? Part of the reason is the paltry DOT fines assessed against the airlines for breaking the Department of Transportation (DOT) rules. Last year, DOT...
The Civilian Pilot Training Program at the Tuskegee Institute In 1939, Martin Luther King, Jr., was 10 years old. After more than twenty years of advocacy following World War I, the NAACP and civil rights leaders pushed the U.S. Congress into passing Appropriations...
Backgammon diplomacy takes center stage in Tskaltubo I don’t know about you, but I’ve never quite trusted the Olympics. During the opening ceremony, some misty-eyed sportscaster always starts gushing, “Every four years the nations of the world come...
These are not your mother’s museums Question: What do staplers, candles and ear rings have in common? Answer: They’re among the items on display at a wacky and wonderful museum in California which claims that it has the largest collection in the world devoted to...
Consumer rights are buried in regulations or contracts. Congress could do something about that. Published in USAToday on May 4, 2017 Nothing is more upsetting to the airline industry than customers who know their rights. Every time Congress or federal officials press...
Do we need a law to provide humane personal space on planes? As the US digests confrontations between airline crews and passengers, questions are swirling about what has caused this us-vs.-them attitude between passengers and airlines. Some of the reasons seem clear,...
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.
Airlines Refunds: DOT enforcement notice that all airline tickets canceled by the airlines must be repaid to include all airfare, taxes and added fees with cash not airline credits.
Bi-partisan bill to eliminate hotel resort fees introduced into House of Representatives
Creation of the DOT Consumer Advocate to focus on aviation consumer protections
Full Fare Act — Advertised airfares now include all 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 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.
