Biden administration partners with states to protect airline customers
Source: CNBC
Published Tue, Apr 16 2024 1:28 PM EDT Updated An Hour Ago
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday announced a partnership with state attorneys general to fast-track investigations into complaints against airlines and ticket agents as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to enhance consumer protections.
Currently, the authority to enforce passenger protections lies solely with the federal government. And while state attorneys general receive consumer complaints, airlines are not legally required to respond to their inquiries. Under the partnership, Buttigieg said the states will investigate complaints against airlines and refer them to the U.S. Department of Transportation for priority review and enforcement action.
They will also report carriers for failure to respond to requests for information. The DOT will give the states access to its consumer complaint database. “The truth is we need force multipliers to help meet the need given the record-breaking air travel that we have seen,” Buttigieg told reporters.
Complaints about U.S. airlines climbed sharply last year even as flight cancellations dropped to a 10-year low, data from the Transportation Department shows. The Biden administration has been aggressively pushing measures to expand consumer rights for airline passengers.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/16/biden-administration-partners-with-states-to-protect-airline-customers.html
Link to U.S. Department of Transportation PRESS RELEASE - Secretary Buttigieg Launches Bipartisan Partnership with State Attorneys General to Protect Airline Passengers