CONSUMER REPORTS SUBMITS PETITION U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION FOR STRONGER AIRLINE INDUSTRY OVERSIGHT AND A PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS
May 11, 2022
On April 18, 2022, Consumer Reports (“CR”), an American nonprofit consumer organization, submitted a petition to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg signed by nearly 30,000 consumers asking that the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) take more aggressive action to ensure airline passengers are treated fairly by instituting a Passenger Bill of Rights. Specifically, the petition includes four requests, (1) to bring order, fairness and accountability to the airline industry by investigating airlines in order to hold them accountable and minimize flight cancellations, delays, and the withholding of refunds, (2) that DOT create one set of clear, consistent rules for all airlines that operate to and from U.S. points in regard to airlines’ Contracts of Carriage so that passengers understand their rights in the case of delays, cancellations, mishandled baggage and involuntary bumping, (3) that DOT adopt a new rule to allow passengers to cancel their own flights and still receive full refunds during “force majeure” events such as global pandemics, and (4) that DOT prohibit airlines from charging families extra fees for sitting with their young children on flights to better enforce the legislation passed by Congress in 2016 that sought to end the practice of charging fees for children under the age of 13 whose parents or guardians request to sit with them on flights.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com 202-659-6665).
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