DOT proposes additional consumer protections for air travelers

[Godhumor]

Copied from the press release:
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot11010.html
I have to say, I like all these proposals. Now, if only we could do something about the TSA.
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Specifically, the new proposed rule would:

• increase compensation for passengers involuntarily bumped from flights

• allow passengers to make and cancel reservations within 24 hours without penalty

• require full and prominently displayed disclosure of baggage fees as well as refunds and expense reimbursement when bags are not delivered on time

• require fair price advertising

• prohibit price increases after a ticket is purchased

• mandate timely notice of flight status changes

[ParkieDem]

1. Meh.

None of these will do much to help passengers, and many are pointless, IMHO.

Increase compensation for those involuntarily bumped? OK, I can live with that.

Allow pax to make/cancel reservations within 24 hours w/o penalty? What does this mean? Non-refundable fares are the lifeblood of the leisure travel industry. Does this mean you can buy a non-refundable ticket, then cancel 24 hours before your flight and get a refund? If so, airlines will simply stop offering the dirt-cheap nonrefundable fares. This would suck.

Require full disclosure of bag fees? This is already being done. Plus, if you don't like bag fees, don't fly or fly an airline that doesn't have them (e.g., Southwest).

"Fair price advertising?" What in the world does this mean?

Prohibit price increases after a ticket is purchased? Does this really happen? What do they mean here? I have never bought an airline ticket, then had the airline come back and say, "oh, you only paid $250 - the price is really $300." Actually, I have had the opposite happen -- gotten a refund for the fare difference if the price went down.

Timely notice of flight status changes? OK, but this is already being done.

I do agree that TSA is out of control, though. Airlines are bleeding money in part because TSA has made it such a hassle to fly, and the enhancement to security has been minimal at best.

[Lance_Boyle]

2. re: 24 hours

"Allow pax to make/cancel reservations within 24 hours w/o penalty? What does this mean? Non-refundable fares are the lifeblood of the leisure travel industry. Does this mean you can buy a non-refundable ticket, then cancel 24 hours before your flight and get a refund? If so, airlines will simply stop offering the dirt-cheap nonrefundable fares. This would suck."

I read it to mean allow cancellation or change within 24 hours of making the reservation, not within 24 hours of the flight. :shrug:

[Godhumor]

3. A few things

The make/cancel reservations within 24 hours w/o penalty is 24 hours from when you purchase the ticket. In other words, if you buy a ticket and 2 hours later you find out you can't take the trip, you would be able to seek a refund. After the 24 hours period, it can become nonrefundable again.

I've had fares, after I've paid, go up twice on international flights. Once when the airline increased the gas surcharge and once when the exchange rate changed radically enough that my ticket was "adjusted to reflect the current economic environment".

My take on the bag fees is that it must be disclosed as part of the ticket price (i.e the ticket is x, with 1 bag it would be y, with 2 bags it would be z).

Change I am happiest with is the expanding tarmac stranded guidelines to international flights and smaller airports.

[ixion]

4. Disband the TSA, and return freedom to the airport

that would be the best thing, and that would truly help.