Buttigieg Defends Proposed Rules in Media Comments
Joe Cortez August 09, 2022
U.S. Department of Transportation Building
Reuters reports the transportation head is calling for the rules to become policy, while teasing for more proposed rules ahead.
Transportation Secretary Calls for Rule Modernization
Buttigieg’s comments come after two consumer protection proposals were introduced in the nation’s capital. In addition to the Transportation Department’s notice of proposed rulemaking defining “significant changes” to commercial flights, a group of lawmakers introduced a bill which would require airlines to change their rules on flight refunds.
In Buttigieg’s comments to the media on Monday, August 8, 2022, the leader says the proposed new rules are overdue in today’s air travel environment.
“We’ve been due for a refresh on a lot of our rules toward airlines and when you get it right, the entire system is better off – certainly passengers are better off,” the Transportation Secretary said to Reuters. “(Airlines) have a responsibility to take good care of passengers and we have a responsibility to hold them accountable.”
However, the rule changes may not stop with flight delays and unscheduled changes. Buttigieg also said his agency plans to add a rule proposed 13 months prior, which would require airlines to offer ancillary fee refunds when things don’t work. The refunds would include baggage fees on delayed luggage, and in-flight wi-fi when it doesn’t work.
“We’re untying our own hands with the update on unfair and deceptive practices,” Buttigieg told Reuters.
Airlines Defer Blame to Governments, Air Traffic Control Issues
While federal-level officials are looking for their own solutions, the airlines say that both governments and air traffic control issues are to blame – allegations that Buttigieg denies. At the 2022 International Air Transport Association annual general meeting, the trade group outlined a host of hurdles government regulation is adding to recovery, while leadership at United Airlines blamed the Federal Aviation Administration for performance issues.
Feature image courtesy: kmf164/flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Let me get this straight,...
I am to trust this guy after he made a deal with the DNC (or Biden) to get a cabinet positon with incoming administration to screw Bernie out of the last election? Only one thing comes to mind when I see that name. Click off it. Is he doing good things? Is he not? I don't want read a thing about that d*ck.
Sanders is a con man, so no tears when one con man cons another.
...the airlines are beginning to sound more like a former person who was president by pointing fingers at everyone and everything else rather than themselves. They received 52$ billion in bailouts during the pandemic but still offered staff (including flight crews) to opt for early retirement as well as just cut workers loose. Also what happened to all the money saved from the tax breaks under that president's tenure? Most likely, as was the case with other corporations, it went to stock buybacks instead of say, put aside for a "rainy day" given how sensitive the travel industry is to economic swings.
I'm become a believer of deregulation being a mistake. It sounded great on paper but in practise it has led to what we have today and industry heading towards monopolisation that has become insensitive to the needs of its customers and unethically penalising and overcharging passengers while providing shoddy service. Back in the regulated era, airlines prided themselves and competed on quality of service and schedule performance. Today that has all but been thrown out the window and air travel has decayed to the point little more than an intercity bus with wings (actually Greyhound offers morel legroom than airline economy does which is on par with Delta's "Comfort Class" [an no luggage fees]). (ctd.)
its not really deregulation but reregulation only tilted towards the shareholders. a complete deregulation would let any idiot with money buy a jet and start hauling passengers like a hack cab
Delta's comfort class USED to be what standard seating was. I can't believe how little legroom 'main cabin' provides.
I agree with your comments expect for bringing in DJT. Current president can't even put on his coat. Really sad. Bills are being signed left and right because current person
doesn't even know what he is doing. Banks bailed out under Obama.
(Ctd. from previous)
Airlines are still subsidised as cities, counties, states, and the federal government pay for airport maintenance and improvement while the federal government invest funds to keep the airways safe. The government also still subsidises the petrol industry which provides fuel. If airlines like United want to blame the FAA (likely for ATC issues) they need to take that argument to the GOP who's president in the 1980s killed the Controller's union and which has considered privatising the operation (a very, very bad mistake if that happened).
As we have seen in other industries such as telecom, broadband, and banking, deregulation has led to more issues caused a decrease in customer satisfaction, and eliminated competition due to consolidations. We have seen this nation go from ten major air carriers to three. and handful of discount airlines (two of which have recently consolidated). The fewer the choices, the more the customer base becomes a "captive audience" who are subject to the whims of what the company does and wants. I would not be surprised if there is another consolidation among the big three sometime in the near future.
I beg to disagree. Every ticket includes taxes, including airline passenger fees. Every airline (I think) pays landing fees. The airlines are pretty much self-sufficient. The government (not only in the U.S. but pretty much everywhere) subsidizes roads, railroads, even, in many cases, shipping. I personally am not. a fan of deregulation because there was a certain standard back in the day we don't have now. I am not a believer in 30" pitch in Y class (that's on the U.S. 3), or even worse in Europe (i.e., BA, LH). I think that's not even safe. And I'm not even considering stuff like "bundling" of baggage, seat selection, meals, etc. There has got to be a happy medium. At least legroom should be adequate for a 3 hour flight.