New Airline Passengers' Rights Bill Takes Flight in Senate

New Airline Passengers Rights Bill Takes Flight in 111th Congress
Senators Boxer and Snowe Piloting New Law in the Senate
NAPA, Calif., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- FlyersRights.org issued the following statement from its spokesperson, Kate Hanni, on news that Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) today introduced the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights in the Senate. The bill will give airline passengers legal rights by preventing them from being held indefinitely on planes, ensuring passengers' needs are met, and helping airlines coordinate with government agencies.
"We applaud Senator Boxer and Senator Snowe for introducing the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights in Congress to give passengers legal rights and ensure their well-being. For far too long, the airlines have put profits ahead of customer service and the basic human needs of the flying public. It is our hope that this bill will give passengers a legal voice when confronted with the horrific ordeal that tens of thousands of passengers have endured when held for many hours on airport tarmacs without food, water and other essential human needs.
Coalition representatives recently met with President-Elect Obama's transportation transition team, and Senator Obama was a co-sponsor of the previous bill, so we are excited about the prospects for this new bill.
We encourage all Members of Congress to join the efforts of Senator Boxer and Senator Snowe to ensure the passage of a comprehensive, enforceable Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights that would modernize and improve airline industry standards for customer service."
The main provisions of the new bill are:
Airlines to offer passengers the option of safely deplaning once they have sat on the ground for three hours after the plane door has closed.
Airlines to provide passengers with food, potable water, comfortable cabin temperature and ventilation and adequate restrooms while a plane is delayed on the ground.
A consumer complaint hotline so that passengers can alert the agency about delays.
Airports and airlines to develop contingency plans to be reviewed and approved by DOT, and fines for air carriers and airports that do not submit or fail to comply with contingency plans.
CAPBOR has 24,000 members and is the largest non-profit airline passengers rights Coalition.
SOURCE FlyersRights.org (formerly Coalition for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights)
© 2008 SYS-CON Media Inc.

Kate Hanni: Story of Amy Evans Cancer Patient Stuck in Airport ala United

Jan '08 First Horror Story Press Release
PRESS RELEASE

Air Passenger Advocacy Group Helps Cancer Patient in Need

When a traveler flying to San Diego for life-saving surgery is denied boarding, the Coalition for Airline Passenger Rights steps in to help
Passengers on a New Year’s Eve United Airlines flight from Eugene, Oregon to San Diego were appalled when a rude and uncooperative gate agent refused boarding to a wheelchair-bound passenger trying to reach San Diego for an urgently needed surgical procedure for her cancer. The passenger, a 26 year-old woman named Amy Evans, was told by the airline that she would have to remove all of her medications from her carry-on luggage and place all of it in two clear plastic bags. The airline then informed Amy that she now had to PAY for checking the two additional pieces of “luggage”. Then Amy was told that she would have to sign a Waiver of Liability in case the medications (worth several thousand dollars) were damaged or destroyed. When Amy refused to sign the form, the United Airlines agent, a surly young man named Ted (ironically!) not only refused to allow her to board, but actually went so far as to reach into Amy’s purse, grab her boarding passes and rip up Amy’s tickets in front of her. He then made an announcement over the loud system that he was not going to allow her to board in an inexplicable effort to embarrass her publicly. According to accounts from several of the other passengers, Amy was acting calmly and in no way warranted the poor treatment she received. Many other passengers went so far as to tell the agent that they would not board the plane themselves unless he allowed the young woman to board, but he still refused. Fortunately for Amy, SIX of her fellow passengers called our toll-free hotline to report the incident. The hotline volunteer quickly contacted the Coalition’s President and Founder Kate Hanni, who wasted no time getting involved personally to help the desperate young woman. Kate immediately phoned Amy, who was immensely relieved and grateful for the assistance. Kate immediately contacted the Airport Authority office in Eugene to report the incident and attempt to resolve Amy’s dilemma. Kate spent the next SIXTEEN hours working to help Amy reach her destination, monitoring her progress.

Fortunately, not everyone in Eugene, Oregon is as nasty as Ted. Kate was able to reach a wonderful and cooperative woman at the airport named Kathryn who immediately leaped into action to help. Kathryn contacted the United Airlines administrative office to see what steps could be taken to help Amy. The airline was embarrassed when they learned about what had occurred and quickly issued a $10 food voucher to Amy and booked her on the next flight to San Diego. After a weather delay in San Francisco, Amy eventually reached San Diego at 11pm that night where her medications were waiting at the airport. We are pleased to report that Amy made it in time for her scheduled surgery and is doing well. Kate is now working to help Amy file a complaint against the airline and asking for full reimbursement for the unfair baggage charges.

This is a perfect example of why we have a HOTLINE! We are first and foremost an advocacy group that exists to help ALL passengers and assure that they are treated fairly. The coalition is gratified that our free hotline was able to make such an important difference to someone like Amy. We hope you will help with a donation and assure we can continue providing this valuable service by logging into www.flyersrights.com/contribute.html .

We urgently need your help to continue this important struggle for your rights and safety. Although our membership is up, donations have recently dropped, making it exceedingly difficult for us to continue this fight. It costs a lot of money to continue our lobbying efforts, run the hotline and pay for press releases on the PR Newswire. We even help defray the costs for some passengers who couldn’t otherwise afford it to fly to Washington, DC to have them testify before Congress and allow them to tell their stories to politicians in an effort to make them understand the plight of air passengers today and help us get our Passenger Bill of Rights passed.

One of our coalition members recently made the generous offer to donate $25,000 to our cause if we could raise a matching amount through donations from our members. Although we have made progress, we are still short of our goal and urgently need your assistance. Many of our members are opting to sign up for our donation subscription service as an easy and painless way to donate to the cause. A small monthly donation can be automatically deducted from your account to help us fight for your rights as an airline passenger. Please go to our web site and see how safe, easy and convenient it is to contribute to this worthy cause. We’re also pleased to announce another great (and painless) way to help the cause. When you apply for the new FlyersRights Platinum Visa Card, our issuing bank (UMB) will donate $50 to FlyersRights the very first time you use it! And UMB will donate a percentage of all your future purchases on the card to FlyersRights as well! All the benefits of a Platinum Visa card will be yours, along with the satisfaction of showing your support for the FlyersRights mission every time you use your card. We hope you will take advantage of this fantastic opportunity and use your new card each time you pay for an airfare. Let the airlines know that you expect to be treated fairly whenever you fly and that you support the FlyersRights Coalition.

We urge you to visit our web site and learn about the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights that we are trying to get passed. Canada recently passed legislation to safeguard the rights of its citizens whenever they fly. Don’t Americans deserve the same type of protection?!! Please help us fight for this important legislation and make a contribution today.

We wish all of you a very Happy New Year and thank you for your kind and generous support!

Best wishes,
The Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights [CAPBOR]
Kate Hanni
Executive Director

Post has been hacked. WE are working to fix the problem

Our post was hacked last night with strange postings that were not generated by us.

Clearly there are forces at hand that would like to destroy our credibility. We will figure out who did this and protect ourselves from future attacks.

Kate Hanni
Executive Director
CAPBOR

Airlines Get 500 Million in your Tax Dollars and Passengers Get Nothing

OBERSTAR URGED TO GIVE STRANDED AIRLINE PASSENGERS RELIEF
AS PART OF $500M INSURANCE SUBSIDY
Unless emergency bill is amended, airlines will get $500M – and passengers get bumped

WASHINGTON (September 22) – The head of the nation’s leading passenger rights organization today urged Congressman James Oberstar (DFL-MN) to give relief to stranded airline passengers as part of emergency legislation re-authorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. The bill, under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure which Oberstar chairs, gives the airlines $500 million in taxpayer-funded “war insurance,” but fails to contain an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights that would give relief to flyers who are now stuck inside the aircraft indefinitely while planes’ departures are delayed.

“I urge Chairman Oberstar not to give the airlines’ lobbyists and campaign donations a seat in First Class at the expense of passengers who are stuck back in coach – for eight or nine hours at a time,” said Kate Hanni, President of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights (http://www.flyersrights.org).

“Today, the airlines can keep you stranded indefinitely on the tarmac in a sealed metal tube, and there’s nothing you can do about it. We’re only asking that after three hours, they take you back to the terminal and let you get some fresh air, food, fresh water and a toilet that works. We urge Congressman Oberstar, as chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to use his influence to give relief to these stranded passengers as part of emergency legislation now before his Committee to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration.”

Hanni explained that Congress must enact an emergency extension of legislation reauthorizing the FAA by September 30, or the Agency must legally shut its doors. The airlines, which spent $16 million this year alone on lobbying, according to http://www.opensecrets.org, have obtained an amendment to the measure granting them $500 million in insurance guarantees against future acts of terrorism. Congress has so far refused, however, to include provisions creating a legally-enforceable “Passengers’ Bill of Rights,” including a requirement that passengers be returned to the terminal and let off their aircraft after three hours of delay.

“Maybe if more Members of Congress rode in coach with the rest of us instead of flying in First Class or on corporate jets, they’d be more compassionate. In the meantime, we’ll make sure their constituents know it if they give airline donors big bucks while passengers get bumped.”

Hanni, a private citizen who took on the airlines after she was forced to sit for 9 hours waiting for a flight to take off, says that the Coalition will do “everything in our power” to apply citizen pressure to the legislators in the days remaining before both Houses take up legislation extending the FAA’s re-authorization. The FAA’s authorization expires on September 30 and Congressional leaders have not said when the re-authorization legislation will be voted upon.

- 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
CONTACT : MIKE COLLINS
TEL.: (202) 494-6105
EMAIL: mikecollinspr@cox.netber

Canada Got their Airline Passengers Bill of Rights WHY CAN't WE HAVE OURS!

Kate Hanni, Executive Director For Immediate Release
FlyersRights.org
(CAPBOR)
707-337-0328

Canada Passes Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights: “If airline passengers rights is good enough for Canada, why not good enough for America”?


Napa Valley California 8/11/08: (Flyersrights.org) Kate Hanni today confirmed Canada’s efforts to pass an airline passengers’ bill of rights has come to fruition, and yes even in a Canadian Election year. Canada’s Bill of rights is more comprehensive than even the EU Regulations and specifically addresses “Strandings” allowing passengers off in 90 minutes with the option to re-board the plane.

“If it’s good enough for Canada, why isn’t it good enough for America?” asked Hanni. I’ve been working with Mayor Woodrow French on this Canadian Airline Passengers Bill of Rights and am envious of Canada’s ability to protect their flying citizen’s so quickly. It’s time for Congress to ACT and give America these important protections.

Canadian Airlines will be obligated to provide stranded travellers meal and hotel vouchers, though they won't be held responsible for inclement weather, under a federal consumer protection program announced Thursday.

Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon announced the program, billed Flight Rights Canada, at an Ottawa news conference. In June, a private member's bill calling for an airline passenger bill of rights received unanimous support in the House of Commons.
Under the program called “Flight Rights”, airlines must ensure passengers are aware of delays and schedule changes, find passengers seats or refund tickets for over-booked or cancelled flights, provide meal vouchers for delays exceeding four hours and hotel accommodations for delays of more than eight hours.

Following is the exact language for deplanement. This language is additive to the other current laws in Canada regarding airline passengers rights:

‘Passengers have a right to punctuality.a) If a flight is delayed and the delay between the scheduled departure of the flight and the actual departure of the flight exceeds 4 hours, the airline will provide the passenger with a meal voucher.b) If a flight is delayed by more than 8 hours and the delay involves an overnight stay, the airline will pay for overnight hotel stay and airport transfers for passengers who did not start their travel at that airport.c) If the passenger is already on the aircraft when a delay occurs, the airline will offer drinks and snacks if it is safe, practical and timely to do so. If the delay exceeds 90 minutes and circumstances permit, the airline will offer passengers the option of disembarking from the aircraft until it is time to depart.’

The Coalition has 24,000 members and is the largest non-profit airline passengers rights Coalition in the world . We are joined by Consumer’s Union, Public Citizen, Consumer Federation of America, USPirg, NSL, ACAP, IAM AND NATCA. Kate Hanni 707-337-0328 or www.flyersrights.org. Kate@flyersrights.com directly. Coalition Hotline: 1-877-359-3776

In Memoriam

IN MEMORIAM Lest we not forget on the 7th anniversary of our fallen airline passengers, pilots, and crew and their respective families, all undeserved victims of the 9/11 tragedy, we suggest that all Coalition members today take a moment of prayer or silence to remember and respect their valued heroism and lives. Thank you.

FlyersRights Labor Day Travel Notification: Hurrican Gustav

Airline Weather Advisories and Travel Policies for Hurricane Gustav

AirTran Airways
American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
JetBlue Airways
Northwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways

FAA Computer Meltdown makes obvious need for Congress to Pass FAA Reauthorization Bill!

For Immediate Release
Kate Hanni: Exec. Dir. (707) 337-0328
Flyersrights.org (CAPBOR) Statement on FAA Computer Meltdown Resulting in Massive Flight Delays
August 26, 2008 Napa, California – The Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights today issued the following statement following news reports that airports across the country were experiencing massive flight delays as a result of an FAA computer glitch that resulted in problems accepting flight plan data:
“This is the second time in less than two years that we have seen a massive computer failure that has grounded thousands of flights across the country. Ensuring that passengers are kept flying safely and efficiently should be one of our nation’s top priorities – how many times do we have to see these type of total system break-downs before our government steps in to do something?” Kate Hanni, Flyersrights.org exec. Dir. said.
“Congress has made great strides in coming up with an FAA reauthorization bill that would upgrade this antiquated technology and ensure passengers basic rights, but now we need to finish the job, before financing expires on September 30th and we have to start all over from scratch. We urge lawmakers to pass this important legislation and ensure that passengers everywhere have access to basic rights and recourses when traveling,” said Hanni.
“This most recent failure of the FAA Computer System has effected every flight and every airport in the Country today; obviates the need for Congress to stop ‘Kicking the Can down the road and pass the FAA Modernization Bill now before Congress.” The FAA reauthorization bill has already been delayed one year and Congress still has not finished the job through the Senate. Will it take a catastrophic event before Congress shores up our infrastructure in a meaningful way?”
Flyersrights.org/CAPBOR is standing by to help passengers in need who are grounded, stranded or experiencing delays across the country – passengers can call the 24-hour hotline at 1(877)FLYERS6 (1-877-359-3776) to get information about flight tracking, rescheduling flight or any other information related to flight delays.
The Coalition has 24,000 members . We are joined by Consumer’s Union, Public Citizen, Consumer Federation of America, USPirg, NSL, ACAP, IAM AND NATCA. Kate Hanni 707-337-0328 or www.flyersrights.org. Kate@flyersrights.com directly.
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Congressman James Oberstar and Congressman Jerry Costello introduce brand new Passengers Rights Bill HR: 6355

Kate Hanni, Founder-President
Coalition for Airline Passengers' Rights, Health and Safety
707-337-0328


Cries of the Flying Public are finally heard
New Airline Passengers Rights Bill a victory

June 26th, 2008: A new, separate Bill providing significant relief for air passengers from extended on-board delays was welcomed today by Kate Hanni, Founder-President of the Coalition for Airline Passengers' Rights, Health and Safety, formerly Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights (CAPBOR). The new Bill, H.R. 6355 was introduced in Congress June 24 by Congressman James Oberstar, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Congressman Jerry Costello, Chairman of the Aviation sub-committee.

“Despite frustrations inevitably encountered in the process, we are delighted that passengers’ rights are clearly now on the agenda of the House’s appropriate leadership,” Ms. Hanni said. “This Bill is intended to move passengers’ rights legislation along on its own merit, since similar passenger legislation was already passed by the House in the FAA Reauthorization Act, which has become stalled in the Senate,” she added.

H.R. 6355, the Air Service Improvement Act of 2008", requires air carriers and large and medium hub airports to file, emergency contingency plans with the Secretary of Transportation for her review and approval. The Secretary may establish minimum standards for plans and require airlines to modify the plans they submit. These plans must detail how the air carrier will provide food, water, restroom facilities, ventilation, and necessary medical treatment for passengers on board an aircraft that is on the ground for an extended time period without terminal access. The Coalition had fought hard for plans that required Transportation Department approval, as opposed to the voluntary plans the DOT, favored.

Airlines that do not comply are subject to a $25,000 per day penalty. The Bill will also establish an Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection. Full Text of the Bill at:

The Coalition strongly urges everyone to contact his/her representative in Congress and insist that they co-sponsor H.R. 6355 to end the repeated incidents of passengers being held aboard airliners for prolonged periods without adequate food, water, ventilation and sanitary facilities.

The Coalition has 23,100 people and claims successes as the New York Passengers’ Bill of Rights, 2 DOT Rulemakings; one doubled compensation for Denied Boarding and the correct reporting of Diversions and Cancellations when “Stranded” on the Tarmac. For info: Kate Hanni 707-337-0328 or www.flyersrights.org. Kate@flyersrights.com directly.

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Kate Hanni receives Top 25 distinction from ForbesLife Executive Women

Kate Hanni, Founder-President
Coalition for Airline Passengers' Rights, Health and Safety
707-337-0328


Forbes/Conde Naste Exutive Women’s Magazine Taps Kate Hanni as one of 25 most Influential Executive Women in Travel

June 26th, 2008: Kate Hanni is one of the most passionate and dedicated national figures fighting for safeguards and protections for airline passenger's today. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Coalition for Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights (CAPBOR), the fastest growing airline passengers' coalition in the country. Whether in State Capitols or in the Halls of the U.S. Congress, Ms. Hanni has brought the need to enact legal rights and protections for the flying public to the national forefront.

“Today is my birthday and I cannot imagine a better gift than being awarded this prestigious distinction.” Ms. Hanni said. “I cannot believe that we as a Coalition have come so far, so fast.” Furthered Kate.

Hanni has been recognized 3 times in 18 months as “Most Influential” by Travel Weekly, Nielson Business Ratings and now Conde Naste”. “I’m both touched and honored,” said Kate

ForbesLife Executive Woman stated. “Before Hanni became the hero of frustrated travelers across the U.S., she was a real-estate broker with $40 million in sales and an occasional singer in a rock band. But after spending more than nine hours stuck on the tarmac in Austin, Texas, in 2006, she used her business savvy to create a coalition that advocates for passenger rights. The group has grown to 23,000 members and has lobbied Congress to implement a bill of rights for stranded passengers. Not all of the coalition's demands have been met--yet--but Hanni's influence keeps growing.”

The Coalition has 23,100 people and claims successes as the New York Passengers’ Bill of Rights, 2 DOT Rulemakings; one doubled compensation for Denied Boarding and the correct reporting of Diversions and Cancellations when “Stranded” on the Tarmac. We have a hotline: 1-877-flyers 6 for frustrated travelers or travelers in an emergent situation. For info: Kate Hanni 707-337-0328 cellular or http://www.flyersrights.org/. Kate@flyersrights.com directly.

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