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 These
days, airline travel seems to be anything but simple. Headlines across
our nation have expressed passengers’ outrage at airlines that have
grounded planes - often for hours at a time - with no opportunity for
passengers to get off. Just last month, passengers bound for New Jersey
were diverted to Baltimore because of inclement weather, and were
grounded and required to remain on the airplane for four hours without
food, water, toilet paper, or clean air. After strong protesting from
passengers and a petition to be released from the plane, security
officers escorted them off the plane to a holding room for another two
hours, and then back on the plane for another hour before they finally
departed for New Jersey arriving nine hours late. Among those passengers
was a pregnant woman, a diabetic, children, and senior citizens.
Passengers on this flight are part of a rising number of people in our
country who feel that airline travel has become a frustrating, grueling,
and often undependable travel option.
Consumers are not only frustrated with planes that are held on the
runway, but are also concerned about the growing number of cases of lost
luggage, overbooked and overcrowded flights, inaccurate or deficient
information on the status of flights, and other inconsistencies within
our airline system. While we cannot prevent inclement weather, and
increased safety regulations are necessary in our post-9/11 society,
neither should create an environment where customer service levels are
so low or customer dissatisfaction so high. The Department of
Transportation (DOT) reports that the number of flights delayed on the
runway for three hours or more has tripled this summer. In June alone,
462 aircraft sat waiting to take off for longer than three hours. This
year total, 925 aircraft have faced the same situation. The Bureau of
Transportation Statistics houses these statistics and more on their
website, including an
Air Travel Consumer
Report, which is updated monthly.
The Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the DOT provides a listing
of 14 major airlines’ customer service plans. Each plan describes what
the airlines do in order to 1) notify passengers of known flight delays,
2) meet customers’ essential needs during long on-aircraft delays, 3)
allow tickets to be held or refunded within 24 hours of purchase, and 4)
be more responsive to customer complaints. On this site you can download
copies of each airline’s customer service plan so that you can make an
informed decision when choosing an airline and so that you can hold your
particular airline accountable to their commitment to passengers. A list
of these plans can be found
here.
In addition, the Aviation Consumer Protection Division operates a
complaint system for passengers who experience any air travel problems,
whether related to safety, security, or customer service. To voice a
complaint, you should call the Federal Aviation Administration at
1-800-255-1111. You may also send your comments to the
Transportation
Security Administration. The Aviation Consumer Protection Division
also accepts these comments directly by email at
airconsumer@dot.gov or by phone
at 202-366-2220 (TTY 202-366-0511). The Aviation Consumer Protection
Division asks that you include the following information when
registering your complaint or concern::
- your name
- address
- daytime phone number (including area code)
- name of the airline or company about which you are complaining
- flight date
- flight number
- origin and destination cities of your trip
If writing, you should also include a copy of your airline ticket (not
the original) and any correspondence you have already exchanged with the
company.
As As Congress looks at and reviews federal regulations of airlines, I
would like to hear your thoughts and experiences regarding airline
travel. Please email
your thoughts and comments to me. I also encourage you to take
advantage of the systems established by the Aviation Consumer Protection
Division. For more information and further instruction on registering a
complaint related to airline travel, please visit
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm.
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