I’m a big fan of Southwest Airlines, but the latest Transportation Department report card isn’t.
DOT
In part two of their interview with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Christopher Elliott and Charlie Leocha explore the new tarmac-delay restrictions for airlines and pending rules for the disclosure of surcharges, such as baggage fees, that have spread through the airline industry.
Spirit Airlines’ decision to begin charging passengers for carry-on luggage — and lowering some fares to a penny — has caught the attention of the federal government, as many predicted it would. In part one of our exclusive interview with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, we talk about fees, consumer protection and the future of airline service
Are the government’s airline cops about to get tough on crime? The Department of Transportation says it is, and now there’s new evidence that it’s following through.
The Department of Transportation yesterday claimed to be a leader in the administration’s open government initiative, which is supposed to transform the federal bureaucracy into a “transparent, collaborative, and participatory government” that touches the lives of citizens.
Last week’s story about how the Transportation Department has adopted a more pro-consumer attitude didn’t include the recent fine against United Airlines and news of its new Web site.
Attention, air travelers: The government has your back.
Our friends at the Transportation Department have unleashed a blizzard of airline rule changes on us this morning. They’re being characterized as an early Christmas present for air travelers — particularly those with lengthy tarmac delays. And the government is not done yet. But read the actual rule, and the DOT’s nuanced discussion of its [...]
Remember last summer’s overnight tarmac stranding incident in Rochester, Minn.? The government does. This morning it issued what it called a “precedent-setting” series of fines against two airlines in connection with the lengthy ground delay.
The online travel agency Ultimate Fares faces $600,000 in government fines for failing to include taxes and service fees in its airfares, a U.S. Department of Transportation Administrative Law Judge has ruled. The fine would be the largest ever assessed for advertising violations, according to regulators.
That’s a question worth asking after the Secretary of Transportation posted a response to a column I wrote about tarmac delays.
In yet another sign that the government has adopted a “get tough” approach in dealing with the airline industry, the Federal Aviation Administration today proposed near-record penalties against two airlines for safety violations.
The Transportation Department has warned airlines against limiting compensation for passengers who purchase necessities because their baggage is lost or delayed.
Unlike some of my esteemed travel writing colleagues, I won’t make the mistake of confusing a few tarmac delay activists with the entire passenger rights movement. Still, the August airline performance numbers, which have just been released by our friends at the Department of Transportation, merit a closer look.
Last week, several airlines added a $10 “miscellaneous” charge for flights on on Nov. 29, Jan. 2 and 3. — those are the peak travel days after Thanksgiving and New Years. The news sent the travel blogosphere into something of a frenzy. My colleague Janice Hough this morning predicted the “holiday surcharge” was only the beginning of a new fee orgy.
The Transportation Department has hit Spirit Airways with a record $375,000 fine for failing to comply with rules governing denied boarding compensation, fare advertising, baggage liability and other consumer protection requirements, the agency announced this morning.
I’m on record as supporting a Passengers Bill of Rights. But today I’m changing my vote.
Almost seven hours on the tarmac? Have these people lost their minds?
When it comes to fines, the Transportation Department is on a roll. Last month saw an unprecedented number of actions against airlines for deceptive fare advertisements. And now, the government has put a cruise line in its crosshairs.
