Originally Posted by
racekp
This was the email from DOT, and I assume on the basis DOT have bothered to respond and engage NZ there is a case to answer to under their regs.
This responds to your communication regarding the airline issue. The U.S. Department of Transportation seeks to ensure that all airline passengers are treated fairly. Complaints from consumers are helpful to us in determining whether airlines are in compliance with our rules and to track trends or spot areas of concern that warrant further action.
We will forward your complaint to the airline and will ask the company to respond directly to you. Airlines are required to acknowledge receipt of a consumer complaint within 30 days and provide a substantive response to the complainant within 60 days. If you have not received a reply within this time frame please let us know. If you need to contact our analyst assigned to your case, you may leave a telephone message on our Aviation Consumer line, xxxxxxxxxx, or send an email to xxxxxxxx. Please include your name and case number.
We have also entered your complaint in our computerized industry monitoring system, and it will be counted among the number of complaints filed against this airline in our monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. This report allows consumers and air travel companies to compare the complaint records of individual airlines and tour operators. The data in this report also serve as a basis for rule-making, legislation and research. Consumer information for air travelers, including the Air Travel Consumer Report and our pamphlet Fly-Rights, a Consumer's Guide to Air Travel, can be found on our website, https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer. Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Sincerely,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Senior Aviation Industry Analyst
Aviation Consumer Protection Division
The reply to the travellers could well be "in our opinion NZ2 flight does not apply"
It may take a "test " case to settle this matter.
I for one would be more than happy to contribute towards a test case in the court.