Thanks to MaryLou P.
By CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT -Special to The Seattle Times
You can almost feel it when you fly these days. It’s that sense that you’re a second-class citizen with limited rights — or none at all.
It happened to Janice Lintz when she was traveling from Philadelphia to New York recently.
Her airline canceled her flight, left her waiting at the airport and eventually offered her a $10 meal voucher and 7,500 miles for the “inconvenience.”
“It was insulting,” says Lintz, a disability advocate who lives in Washington, D.C. “I think without consumer protections, travelers are going to be treated miserably.”
She’s right. Airline passenger rights are disappearing. The U.S. government’s recent decision to scrap proposed compensation rules for delays, which I outlined in last week’s column, is just the beginning. Behind the scenes, airlines are lobbying to dismantle decades’ worth of consumer protections.
The question isn’t whether your rights will shrink — they will. The question is: What can you do about it?
WHAT’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN?
The U.S. Department of Transportation has pledged to enforce existing laws. But that promise comes with a massive caveat: Airlines are actively working to change those laws. Its 93-page deregulatory manifesto reads like a wish list for turning passengers into powerless customers.
Here’s what airlines want to kill:
• Automatic refund requirements for flight changes and cancellations.
• Fee transparency rules that force disclosure of baggage and seat fees upfront.
• Accessibility protections for passengers with disabilities.
• Enforcement of family seating requirements.
That directly contradicts what airline passengers say they want.
A recent survey by AirHelp found 52% of U.S. travelers think air passenger regulations should be stronger.
“Airlines will have less accountability,” says Susan Sherren, founder of Couture Trips.
“This means that travelers will need to take steps to protect themselves.”
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