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Department of Transportation Seeks Comments on Airline Bumping Rule

Department of Transportation Seeks Comments on Airline Bumping Rule

Old Jul 10, 2007, 2:10 pm
  #16  
 
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I think there should be minimum compensations published and required.

I think that there should be additional compensation required if the passenger cannot be rebooked to depart that same day.

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Old Jul 10, 2007, 5:08 pm
  #17  
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Originally Posted by mbreuer
I think the penalty tiers shouldn't stop after 4 hours.
Have to agree here.

Why not make it simple, like $150 per hour of delay in reaching the destination, unlimited?
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Old Jul 10, 2007, 9:59 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by djk7
Shy of reading it every day, any tips on how to create a watch or subscription for RIN 2105-AD63?
Unfortunately no, not that I know of. Sorry.
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Old Jul 11, 2007, 3:37 pm
  #19  
 
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I do agree that the rules should apply to planes with fewer than 60 seats. It does seem rather incongruous that one can fly for example on Continental from ORD-IAH and be covered on some of those flights and not others (I do realize that it is COEx for the RJ's and not technically CO, but to the average flyer that is a distinction without a difference).

For the dollar amount, I do think there should be a strong incentive to get the pax to their destinations quickly and safely. If the IDB compensation is not working towards those goals, then changes should occur. And while people like to throw about large numbers for IDB's, remember that this cost will ultimately end up in the price of tickets.

Also, when the IDB compensation amounts were put in place, what was the average price of tickets at that time? I know that they have not increased by the amount of inflation. The difference between then and now may actually be small in amount. I believe that the amount of the compensation should have some relationship to the average ticket cost and not be tied to an inflation factor.
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Old Jul 11, 2007, 3:41 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by wharvey
OK.... how did they ever come up with $624 or $1,248 as compensation limits?

Any significance to those numbers?
My understanding is that these are the equivalent to constant dollars from the time the compensation limits were implemented, i.e. the $200 and $400 have been increased by the amount of inflation.
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Old Jul 12, 2007, 9:34 am
  #21  
 
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OT: I'm guessing that at least two threads were merged to create the current thread, since there seem to be considerably more posts preceding mine than there were on Tuesday. When that occurs, it would be helpful if the moderator noted the merger in the title.
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Old Jul 16, 2007, 8:31 am
  #22  
 
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easy step-by-step instructions on how to post your comment to DOT

"For step-by-step instructions in how to post your comment, read on...

Contact the Feds using this two-step process. First, find and download the proposal by clicking here (http://dms.dot.gov/search/document.c...&docketid=9325).

Then, to submit a comment visit this webpage:
https://dms.dot.gov/submit/

The instructions on this page are somewhat misleading. You do not have to "register" to post a comment. Simply click on the "continue" button. In the field that says, "docket number", copy and paste this docket number: OST-01-9325. You will see other fields with confusing terms. Just ignore them and leave them as they are.

Next, you must provide at least one of the following: Your email address, your phone number with area code, or your complete postal address. You do not have to fill out any additional information. You can leave the other fields blank. Next, click "continue." You should see a screen that says, "Comment."

Type your comment in this window. Be specific in saying which of the five proposals you think is best by spelling out the proposal. For example, you might say, "I support leaving the current rules in place." or "I support raising the limits to $624 for short delays in rebooking and $1,248 for longer delays." Those are just examples. You can disagree. Feel free to word your own opinion--whatever it is."

http://current.newsweek.com/budgettr...ews_on_th.html
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Old Jul 16, 2007, 12:18 pm
  #23  
 
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US DOT proposes changing bump compensation rules

See:
http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/002603.cfm

Whats not to like with an increase?!

Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation would like to hear from you. The agency is considering making changes to policies governing the airline's overselling of seats, and they want to know what you think about it.

To register your feelings on the subject, go to the DOT Web site, go to comments/submissions (you don't have to register), and enter docket OST-01-9325.

The Department of Transportation is considering five proposals: increasing the $200 compensation limit to $624 and the $400 limit to $1,248; increasing the compensation limits to $290 and $580 respectively; doubling the compensation limits to $400 and $800; eliminating all compensation limits and making compensation equal to the value of a ticket; or leaving the current limits in place.

The agency is also considering extending rules to apply to aircraft with only 30 to 60 seats, which are not currently covered.
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Old Jul 16, 2007, 12:20 pm
  #24  
 
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apologies if this is really old. it just came up as an ad via gmail....
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Old Jul 16, 2007, 12:26 pm
  #25  
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"The agency is also considering extending rules to apply to aircraft with only 30 to 60 seats, which are not currently covered."

That's the one I want to see. I usually am pleased with VDB compensation, but I don't like the airlines ability to IDB with impunity on smaller aircraft.
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Old Jul 16, 2007, 5:52 pm
  #26  
 
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Merge into http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=712416 ?
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Old Jul 17, 2007, 1:01 am
  #27  
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Are commercial passengers flights with 1-29 seats covered as well as commercial passenger flights with 61+ seats?
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Old Jul 17, 2007, 10:48 pm
  #28  
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For good housekeeping, let me merge this with a larger active thread on the same subject. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz
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Old Jul 22, 2007, 12:12 am
  #29  
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USA Today story: THINGS THAT GO BUMP

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/200...ingsthatgobump

Thu Jul 19, 12:20 AM ET

A lot has changed in the airline industry in the past 30 years, but one thing hasn't: The amount you get if you're involuntarily bumped from your reserved seat.


Now there's an effort to raise those penalties, and not a moment too soon. With planes flying full and bad weather disrupting schedules, what the industry calls DBs (denied boardings) have spiked this year to the highest levels in at least a decade.


Of course, it'd be nice if federal regulators and airlines would do away with overbooking altogether, but that's not about to happen. There's grudging agreement that overbooking is an ugly necessity: Airlines compensate for passengers who skip flights and reuse their tickets later by estimating how many no-shows they'll have on a given flight and overbooking by that amount. Their quite reasonable goal is to fill as many seats as possible and try to eke out a profit.


Usually, airlines guess right. Bumped passengers are a tiny fraction of all air travelers: about 13 of every 10,000. Subtract those who voluntarily give up their seats when airlines offer travel vouchers or other inducements, and involuntary bumpees make up fewer than 1.5 of every 10,000. That sounds tiny, but a lot of people fly: 55,828 were involuntarily bumped last year. And if you happened to be one of those 55,828, it was a huge problem.


What to do? Since 1978, airlines have generally been required to pay involuntarily bumped passengers up to $400 if they couldn't get on another flight scheduled to arrive within two hours of the original plane.


Now the U.S. Department of Transportation is thinking about extending bumping rules to planes with as few as 30 seats (the cutoff is now 60 seats), and raising compensation to as much as $1,248 to reflect inflation since 1978. Both are sound ideas.


Expanding the rules would acknowledge the reality that smaller planes, especially regional jets, make up a large and growing segment of air travel. And while $1,248 might sound like a lot of money, that's the point. Travelers deserve compensation for the enormous inconvenience of losing a seat they've been promised and having to pay for things like food, rental cars and hotels that cost more than they did in 1978.


Tougher penalties would also give carriers a more powerful incentive to bump as rarely as possible. After the current rules went into effect, bumping rates declined for years. Money talks, and sometimes that's what it takes to get airlines to listen.

Denied boarding

Involuntary bumpings per 10,000 passengers for the first quarter of 2007:


* JetBlue 0.04


* AirTran 0.21


* United 0.40


* American 1.06


* Northwest 1.25


* Southwest 1.25


* US Airways 1.68


* Continental 1.93


* Delta 3.47

Source: Transportation Department
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Old Aug 5, 2007, 5:17 pm
  #30  
 
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I went to the DOT site today and fewer than 1000 submitted comments? I expected many more given the number of complaints about full planes these days.
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