Just in time for the busy summer travel season, the Transportation Department this morning announced a series of steps designed to calm the frayed nerves of air travelers, including a new rule that doubles the limit on compensation airlines must pay passengers who are involuntarily bumped from their flight.
The measures are outlined in a lengthy announcement outlining initiatives designed to “strengthen passenger protections, improve consumer choice and reduce congestion,” according to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.
Well, somebody hose me down.
Among the steps:
Clearing the air. Peters announced new air traffic measures designed to help cut delays this summer. The first involves new flexibility for aircraft to use alternative routes in the sky to avoid severe weather. This includes a new routing alternative that provides an “escape route” into Canadian airspace from the New York metropolitan area so airlines can fly around summer thunderstorms and high winds.
Adding another “lane” in the sky. The Federal Aviation Administration will open a second westbound route for aircraft to New York. That’s the equivalent of building another interstate highway lane in the sky. It would, in effect, provide a parallel route along a heavily-traveled aviation corridor, helping cut westbound delays from the New York area.
More money for bumped passengers. A new rule (which I blogged about when it was first being considered) goes into effect next month under which air travelers who are involuntarily bumped would receive up to $400 if they are rescheduled to reach their destination within two hours of their original arrival time or four hours for international flights, and up to $800 if they are not rerouted within that timeframe.
But the Transportation Department buried the proverbial lede, as they say in journalism.
In its announcement, it pointed to an obscure government Web site called FightGridlock.gov, which led to a page that discusses a wider range of possible initiatives that could help air travelers.
Those include a proposed new rule that would increase the airline service quality performance data carriers currently report to the government on information related to canceled or diverted flights. And there are proposals designed to require airlines to create legally binding contingency plans for extended tarmac delays, respond to all consumer complaints within 30 days, publish complaint data online, and provide on-time performance information for international flights in addition to domestic flights.
You know, I read the Federal Register every day and didn’t see any of these proposals. Chances are, neither did you. Sadly, the time to comment on these ideas has already passed.
Grrrr.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
In the blog entry today about the raising compensation for bumping, etc. you referred to a page http://www.dot.gov/affairs/dot5308.htm
There was a quote there from Secretary Peters, “This proposal increases choices for passengers and adds competition, which is proven to lower fares.”
Is this attitude on the part of the transportation secretary likely to be part of the government’s position on the merger of Delta and Northwest?
As a consumer, i think it’s a dumb idea to take two airlines that aren’t doing well and try to merge them into one bigger airline. I can’t quite figure out how there would be any more economies of scale than either line has now. They might be able to get rid of a minority of employees by combining operations at some airports, and some corporate functions, but I can’t see where any great savings would come about. The only advantage is that as there are less airlines, they can get away with charging more and more for less service.
The airlines might be required to provide more compensation, but nowhere does is stipulate that this must be in CASH (or check).
So……you will probably just get a larger ‘coupon’ for use on the airline which has already ticked you off! Lots of good that does. I think if the airlines had to give actual money, as oppossed to ’script’ which is cumbersome to use (you cannot usually book online and have to go to the airport for ticketing ) I think a lot of that goes unused which leaves the airline off the hook. So Thanks a Lot guys!!!
@ Tabby: It sounds odd that extra fines will lead to lower prices, but it will force airlines to do better.
@ Savivki: It is sad that there is no stipulation on how the money is to be returned. I believe the infamous EU rule said that the money has to be returned to the customers credit card within some period, a month or so (Chris, correct me if I’m wrong). That puts the burden on the airlines. Without such a rule, I am sure the airlines with find a process more diabolical than the most difficult “mail-in-rebate” to get your money back. Something like:
“Customers must contact the airline within 24h of being bumped via www:misspelledairlinename.com, and download further insturctions there (a 95 page manual full of legal language). Then the customer must mail in their documentation between 2 and 5 weeks after the event (address in Northern Samoa), including a pre-stamped envelop with their home-address. The airline will send back a check (only valid for two weeks after bing issued) after a reasonable evaluation period (say 9 months).”
we are a family of 4 just been bumped off our flight home. it took delta 2 days to get us home and over 10 hours of queuing for hotel vouchers/checking in over the two additional days thats without the waiting on the standby list.
we were not given a cash option only $600 vouchers to be used within the year at the delta.com website. i find it very frustrating that when we checked in at orlando for our connecting flight the words ’seat request’ meant you didn.t have a seat even though we had booked this holiday early in the year. on arriving at atlanda the 48 hour nightmare started. more frustrating is knowing that american standby only passanger were borded on the plane before british passanger who had been bumped from mondays flight and put on standby. the more you complained the more delayed you became as the priory passanger list seemed to be at the descretion og the staff.
delta have not replied to my emails, does anyone know how to get a full cash compensation.