Originally Posted by
GUWonder
DOT was well aware of websites/social media/blogs peddling very cheap fares well before the start of this decade.
The airlines getting away with dishonoring the likes of some of the RGN tickets and even the UA 4 mile tickets has emboldened the airlines to consider more frequently dishonor cheap tickets. The RGN appellants aren't responsible for this situation, as the airlines were already intent upon, and lobbying for, this DOT rule to be scrapped/changed well before the RGN fares had hit.
Give the airlines an inch, and they will try to take a mile. This gets to why the US DOT must make the airlines serving the US to follow the letter of the rule as long as the rule exists.
That's really the question. Does the DOT consider its mistake fares rule a bright line rule that it must enforce in all circumstances in order to protect consumers or does the DOT believe in some cases the rule should not be enforced, for example, because it's mainly helping a small class who search for mistake fares?
I doubt the DOT subscribes to the theory that airlines are evil creatures that unfairly take advantage of consumers and enforcing the rule is necessary to redress the balance.