For air travelers, there’s a new sheriff in town

If you’ve ever wondered why the government does little more than count the number of complaints filed by air travelers and then reports them, the answer is simple: the Transportation Department’s Office of Aviation Enforcement & Proceedings only has the resources to pursue the biggest cases. The net effect is that airlines have been getting away with almost anything they want to.

That’s about to change. A funding bill that I’m told is being brought forward this afternoon will allocate an additional $2.5 million to the department in 2008. That’s enough to add 25 new staffers to the office’s team of about 80 attorneys — and to start making things a little more uncomfortable for the often lawless domestic airline industry.

If the bill passes, as it is widely expected to, it could mean that the complaints you send to the Department of Transportation will be met with a response more often than they are now. The department will finally have the resources to fulfill two key mandates: to verify compliance with the government’s aviation consumer protection requirements, and to provide guidance to the industry and members of the public on consumer protection matters.

It wouldn’t be fair to say the government isn’t already doing this, of course. Only that, given the growth of the airline industry and the recent surge in customer complaints, it hasn’t had enough people to do the job.

If this funding bill passes, then it could.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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