GoAmtrak

Thanks to USDOT for engaging the community here. Besides the above concerns, I was wondering if there's any prospect to address the issue of dubious "direct" flights using the same onward flight number which are actually separate aircraft, which is not always clearly disclosed in the booking channel. This practice causes consumer confusion and often imposes disparate impacts in terms of how a carrier will handle/modify a passenger PNR, or award certain benefits, due to the "system limitations" caused by the married segments.

Common sense would dictate that the same flight number should only be used in cases where the passengers are allowed to remain on board the aircraft during the intermediate layover (as Southwest sometimes does), and that any such stops should be clearly disclosed, or in cases where the same flight number is used for an out-and-back round-trip (AAA-BBB-AAA). Carriers have sometimes claimed that not practicing "direct" flights would cause them to run out of flight numbers to allocate, and any such potential impact should of course be studied. But there's a compelling case for consumer protection to end this deceptive and confusing practice.

Is there any future scope to similarly regulate post-purchase price increases by interstate ground transportation carriers (i.e. Amtrak and Greyhound)? Amtrak recently changed its cancellation policy and imposed the new, less-favorable terms on existing, paid bookings. This would be an illegal practice for airlines or businesses in other industries. Given USDOT's intimate position to guide Amtrak's governance, perhaps this would be appropriate for the agency to address.