NJDavid
Jun 17, 99, 2:21 pm
Just off the wire - from Bloomberg News:
U.S. Airlines, McCain Introduce Airline Passenger Rights Plan
-- The U.S. airline industry
and Senator John McCain, chairman of a key Senate transportation
committee, unveiled voluntary reforms that would provide more
consumer protections for air passengers.
The Air Transport Association, which represents the largest
U.S. airlines, said the plan would give passengers at least 24
hours to decide whether to buy a ticket after it's reserved and
guarantee that mishandled bags are returned within a day. It also
would give passengers the most recent details available on
delays, and provides for some amenities for stranded travelers.
``We have felt the whip from Congress, we've heard the bell
ringing from the flying public,'' said Gerald Greenwald, chief
executive of UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, the world's
largest carrier. ``All airlines need to do a better job of
ensuring that passengers have a satisfying flight.''
Airlines want to stave off bills in Congress that would
penalize them for poor service. A week ago, the airline industry
abruptly canceled an event to unveil its passenger rights plan
after McCain and other legislators pushing for reforms said they
needed to review the proposal.
Today, McCain qualified his support for the plan, saying he
wants it to require airlines to tell passengers who ask whether
their flight has been overbooked. He didn't rule out the
possibility of future Congressional action if the plan fails to
improve customer service.
``I believe these are significant steps,'' said McCain, who
is running for president in 2000. ``However, it is important that
we check up on this.'' He plans to ask the U.S. Transportation
Department's inspector general to monitor airline compliance.
Rising Complaints
Congress is under pressure to respond to growing passenger
dissatisfaction with airline service. The number of complaints
rose 26 percent in 1998 from 1997, according to the Department of
Transportation.
Under the plan assembled by the airline industry and agreed
to by legislators, carriers' telephone reservation operators
would have to provide a price quote of the lowest available fare
on the flight the customer is interested in, effectively
eliminating the fare advantage some consumers get by shopping for
tickets on the Internet.
Each airline would have to notify customers at the airport
and on board the aircraft with the ``best available'' information
on delays, cancellations and flight re-routings. In addition,
each carrier would have to establish a set policy for passengers
stranded overnight by flight delays or cancellations.
The plan agreed to by airlines and legislators would give
consumers a 24-hour window after reserving a ticket to decide
whether to make a purchase. McCain, in legislation introduced in
February, had originally proposed that airlines allow passengers
to seek refunds on all tickets -- even ``non-refundable'' tickets
-- within 48 hours of purchasing a seat.
Other Proposals
McCain's bill, introduced in February, unleashed a flood of
so-called passenger rights legislation on Capitol Hill. The
Clinton Administration has also introduced a similar proposal.
Airlines that keep passengers stuck in a plane on the runway
for two hours or more would be forced to repay them if the delay
is the carrier's fault under a separate bill proposed by U.S.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster.
While the plan announced today includes no such penalties,
it would require airlines to make ``every reasonable effort'' to
provide food, water, restroom facilities and if necessary,
medical care, for passengers stranded aboard planes on the
ground.
This provision grew out of a January incident in which
Northwest Airlines Corp. held hundreds of passengers aboard
planes on the ground during a snow storm. The Department of
Transportation, in a report this month, said conditions aboard
some of aircraft were ``severe enough to have jeopardized
passengers' well-being.''
The airlines also said that they will support a Department
of Transportation proposal to increase the current liability
limit of $1,250 for each bag.
U.S. Airlines, McCain Introduce Airline Passenger Rights Plan
-- The U.S. airline industry
and Senator John McCain, chairman of a key Senate transportation
committee, unveiled voluntary reforms that would provide more
consumer protections for air passengers.
The Air Transport Association, which represents the largest
U.S. airlines, said the plan would give passengers at least 24
hours to decide whether to buy a ticket after it's reserved and
guarantee that mishandled bags are returned within a day. It also
would give passengers the most recent details available on
delays, and provides for some amenities for stranded travelers.
``We have felt the whip from Congress, we've heard the bell
ringing from the flying public,'' said Gerald Greenwald, chief
executive of UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, the world's
largest carrier. ``All airlines need to do a better job of
ensuring that passengers have a satisfying flight.''
Airlines want to stave off bills in Congress that would
penalize them for poor service. A week ago, the airline industry
abruptly canceled an event to unveil its passenger rights plan
after McCain and other legislators pushing for reforms said they
needed to review the proposal.
Today, McCain qualified his support for the plan, saying he
wants it to require airlines to tell passengers who ask whether
their flight has been overbooked. He didn't rule out the
possibility of future Congressional action if the plan fails to
improve customer service.
``I believe these are significant steps,'' said McCain, who
is running for president in 2000. ``However, it is important that
we check up on this.'' He plans to ask the U.S. Transportation
Department's inspector general to monitor airline compliance.
Rising Complaints
Congress is under pressure to respond to growing passenger
dissatisfaction with airline service. The number of complaints
rose 26 percent in 1998 from 1997, according to the Department of
Transportation.
Under the plan assembled by the airline industry and agreed
to by legislators, carriers' telephone reservation operators
would have to provide a price quote of the lowest available fare
on the flight the customer is interested in, effectively
eliminating the fare advantage some consumers get by shopping for
tickets on the Internet.
Each airline would have to notify customers at the airport
and on board the aircraft with the ``best available'' information
on delays, cancellations and flight re-routings. In addition,
each carrier would have to establish a set policy for passengers
stranded overnight by flight delays or cancellations.
The plan agreed to by airlines and legislators would give
consumers a 24-hour window after reserving a ticket to decide
whether to make a purchase. McCain, in legislation introduced in
February, had originally proposed that airlines allow passengers
to seek refunds on all tickets -- even ``non-refundable'' tickets
-- within 48 hours of purchasing a seat.
Other Proposals
McCain's bill, introduced in February, unleashed a flood of
so-called passenger rights legislation on Capitol Hill. The
Clinton Administration has also introduced a similar proposal.
Airlines that keep passengers stuck in a plane on the runway
for two hours or more would be forced to repay them if the delay
is the carrier's fault under a separate bill proposed by U.S.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster.
While the plan announced today includes no such penalties,
it would require airlines to make ``every reasonable effort'' to
provide food, water, restroom facilities and if necessary,
medical care, for passengers stranded aboard planes on the
ground.
This provision grew out of a January incident in which
Northwest Airlines Corp. held hundreds of passengers aboard
planes on the ground during a snow storm. The Department of
Transportation, in a report this month, said conditions aboard
some of aircraft were ``severe enough to have jeopardized
passengers' well-being.''
The airlines also said that they will support a Department
of Transportation proposal to increase the current liability
limit of $1,250 for each bag.