The fact that airline travel can be incredibly unpleasant at times isn’t news to anyone. Part of the frustrations we experience (in my opinion) is due to the fact that the American public has become increasingly rude and selfish, but another part of that equation is directly related to the fact that airline employees are poorly staffed, managed and compensated. This post is regarding problems that sometimes emerge due to the latter; the fault of the airlines.
Last month the Huffington Post had an interesting article about what the U.S. Government is doing about airline complaints. The author of the article, Christopher Elliott writes, “For years, the Transportation Department relied on big fines to deter violations of federal law by airlines. Under the current leadership, however, the emphasis seems to be shifting to advocacy for individuals.”
What I take away from this article is that you need to be your own advocate if an airline has not honored their commitment or may have violated airline travel rules and the US DOT can be a valuable resource for you. If you have a legitimate complaint about an airline violating rules / regulations the article encourages you to reach out to the DOT online at transportation.gov/airconsumer or by phone at (202) 366-2220.
BosGuy 