Baggage Liabilty Limits

If your bag is lost, damaged, delayed or pilfered, the airline is free to invoke a limit on the settlement that it offers you.

Cancellation penalties

We would like to call your attention to several consumer-related issues concerning the new fare structure recently announced by American.  American's April 10 newspaper advertisement states that all tickets will be subject to a penalty of $25 if the passenger wishes to change his or her...

Spirit Airlines Strike

Spirit Airlines' pilots went on strike on June 12, and the carrier has been canceling all of its flights on a day-to-day basis. If you are holding a reservation for an upcoming Spirit flight, visit the carrier's website (www.spirit.com) for additional information and then call the carrier's...

Notice of enforcement policy: oversale notice for foreign carriers

This notice provides guidance for foreign air carriers regarding the content of the written explanation on denied boarding compensation and boarding priorities that carriers must provide to passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily, and to other interested persons at a U.S. airport upon...

Reporting of oversales: misreporting involuntary bumpings as voluntary, failing to report bumped passengers that are ineligible for compensation

This letter concerns the “Report of Passengers Denied Confirmed Space” (Form 251, copy enclosed), sometimes referred to as the “Bumping Report.” The submission of this form is required of certain U.S. and foreign airlines in order to provide the Department of Transportation (DOT) with...

Rights of small entities to enforcement fairness, and policy against retaliation

General

DOT has a policy regarding the rights of small entities to regulatory enforcement fairness and an explicit policy against retaliation for exercising these rights. The policy is as stated below.

Your Rights to Enforcement Fairness

Our objective is to ensure a fair...

DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Guide (For DOT Employees)

This document provides guidance on the drug and alcohol testing for DOT employees.

Public Charters: contracts, reservation records, debit cards, and vouchers: extension of effective date

On November 13, 2012, the Department of Transportation’s Office of International Aviation and the Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings issued a notice providing guidance on the review and approval of public charter prospectuses.  77 Fed. Reg. 69,692 (2012).   The notice...

Cancellation penalties

Fare advertising: add-on taxes and fees

To all U.S. ‘Major’ and ‘National’ passenger carriers, and larger foreign air carriers

This letter concerns the listing in fare advertisements of government-imposed taxes and fees that are collected by air carriers. We have recently noted a wide variety of...