Spirit Airlines Hits a New Low 9-14-11

Spirit Airlines, continuously the yardstick of how little an airline cares about their passengers, has, once again, astonished us. Just as it seemed all extra fee ideas had been exhausted, Spirit goes beyond. Effective November 1, Spirit is going to charge five bucks to print a boarding pass at the airport.

The throng of Spirit charges is astonishing. Take a few minutes to review their Our Optional Fees page. They are actually still charging for carry-on bags, long after the other airlines rejected that as too far over the top. Spirit, apparently, disagrees, and yet they're still booking passengers.

FlyersRights is airline passengers' voice against the proliferation of airline fees. New DOT rules at least require airlines to publish all fees for their optional services, and will mandate publication of all fees and taxes as part of the fare beginning next January. We will work with DOT and our congressional allies to provide more protections for air travelers.

FAA Bill Must Pass 9-13-11

FAA Bill Must Pass Ten Years After 9/11, TSA Doubts Remain Spirit Charges to Print Boarding Pass Beware Multi-Airline Trips Readers Comment on Boarding Plan Invitation to Activism FAA Bill Must Pass After years of fence-straddling, Congress is still unmoved on the FAA Air TransportationModernization and Safety Improvement Act, popularly known as the FAA Reauthorization Bill. The President recently asked Congress to pass yet another extension of the bill-the 22nd such extension. FlyersRights believes that the time for extensions has long past. Congress must pass the FAA Reauthorization Bill this year, and the bill must contain thekey airline passenger protections for which we've fought for so long. We caught a glimpse of the FAA Bill's economic impact last July, when Congress failed to act. Over 4,000 FAA workers were laid off, hundreds of airport construction projects were stopped cold, and tens of thousands of construction workers were suddenly without work. The ripple effect on construction suppliers was not much discussed, but was certainly significant. FAA certification of new aeronautical technologies of all kinds also came to a halt. The true economic impact of commercial aviation on the U.S. economy dwarfs those effects. The Air Transport Association published their estimate of that impact in 2009, producing the following table. Economic Impact of Commercial Aviation on the U.S. Economy (2006-2009) Economic Activity/Output (annual) $1.2-$1.3 trillion Personal Earnings (annual) $370-$4-05 billion Share of GDP 4.9-5.2% Job Impact 9.7-10.5 million For several years, through several sessions, our Congress has been controlling of this massive economic engine with stop-gap extensions. The FAA finds it impossible to make long-range plans, because they literally don't know what the future holds over the next three months. Businesses of all kinds must build in considerations of the uncertainty and doubt generated by lack of a stable, long-term policy. Long-needed airline passenger protections, championed by our allies in both the Senate and House, go unimplemented. We remain the strongest and most consistent consumer voice in this fight, and we will maintain our pressure on Congress to send the bill to the President's desk, and to send it with airline passenger protections intact. We need your help to take this fight on to victory. Ten Years After 9/11, TSA Doubts Remain A decade after this century's "Day of Infamy," FlyersRights still questions our government's efforts to provide real air travel security. Like all other Americans, we want our travel to be safe. However, we demand that security measures imposed upon us be effective, safe, constitutional, and consistently-applied. Are we getting what we need? Chicago Tribune reporter Jon Hilkevitch recently took ahard look at security issues and the government's attempts to address them since 9/11. In his September 6th article, Hilkevitch notes that travel hassles remain, with doubtful assurances of real security. Many Americans (FlyersRights members especially) are dissatisfied and skeptical of what he calls "silly and ineffective security measures designed to obscure glaring weaknesses in a well-funded system that has had 10 years to get it right." We pad, barefoot, through security lines, shove our personal belongings into the maw of an X-ray machine, face the choice of standing in a machine that irradiates us while conducting a strip search or submitting to a groping body search, and then spend more time getting reorganized enough to make it to the gate. Yet we aren't actually contributing to more secure air travel-we're just participating in an endless game of Security Theater. There are signs of progress, as the TSA explores better ways to secure our travel, but pilot programs and research are not enough. FlyersRights will continue to speak for you until sanity returns to air security. Help us by supporting our passenger rights advocacy effortsand our ongoing programs to educate the American public and government agencies on these issues. Spirit Charges to Print Boarding Pass Spirit Airlines, continuously the yardstick of how little an airline cares about their passengers, has, once again, astonished us. Just as it seemed all extra fee ideas had been exhausted, Spirit goes beyond. Effective November 1st, Spirit is going to charge five bucks to print a boarding pass at the airport. The throng of Spirit charges is astonishing. Take a few minutes to review their Our Optional Fees page. They are actually still charging for carry-on bags, long after the other airlines rejected that as too far over the top. Spirit, apparently, disagrees, and yet they're still booking passengers. Are you among those passengers? If so, why? Please let us know atopinion@flyersrights.org, and we'll publish your reasons in a future article. FlyersRights is your voice against the proliferation of airline fees. New DOT rules at least require airlines to publish all fees for their optional services, and will mandate publication of all fees and taxes as part of the fare beginning next January. We will work with DOT and our congressional allies to provide more protections for air travelers. Beware Multi-Airline Trips FlyersRights member Georgiann was recently victimized by a combination of Hurricane Irene and booking a trip that involved two carriers. She used an online travel service to find a good price on a trip and purchased two tickets. The itinerary involved going out on one airline and returning on another. Many of us have taken that option for reasons of price or schedule. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene began its march up the east coast, and Georgiann realized that her trip was just not going to happen. She cancelled the trip with her outbound airline and assumed that the trip was cancelled. Here's the thing. If you book a trip using an airline's site, you will be booking a single itinerary, even if you choose a different airline for your return. On the other hand, If you book via an online travel site, the odds are that you are booking two separate itineraries. Airline 1 and Airline 2 have no connection and do not communicate with each other. So, when Georgiann cancelled the outbound leg, Airline 2 (American) had no idea that she would not show up for the return. See the problem? Georgiann turned to our 24/7 Hotline for help. Dr. Joel Smiler, our Hotline Director, tookownership of her issue and put her in touch with our contact at American Airlines, their Manager, Customer Relations. He provided Georgiann with an e-voucher for one of the tickets, and she was working with him at press time to get credit for the second ticket. The take away is clear-if you use an online travel site to book separate airlines for your out and back, the out and backs are most likely two separate itineraries, and you must deal with them as such. Please help us maintain our free, 24/7 Hotline service for you by contributing to our Flyers Rights Education Fund. Remember, your contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible! Facebookers can also support Flyers Rights Education Fund by signing on to our Cause Page. It provides you with many painless but effective ways to support the cause of airline passenger rights. Readers Comment on Boarding Plan Last week we published Fermilab astrophysicist Jason Steffen's "optimum boarding plan" and asked for your comments. As always, we received a variety of thoughtful and interesting comments. In a nutshell, here's how members felt about the program's chance of working: Doubts about the plan centered on a common set of very real concerns. What about groups and families? Mom and her two kids have adjacent seats-do we force the 5-year-old to board first for her window seat, leaving mom and the 3-year-old at the gate? The plan relies on facts not in evidence-that everyone will be courteous, considerate, and compliant. Our members are experienced air travelers, and many viewed the likely experience as being akin to herding cats. Many frequent flyers view their perks as, at least, some small compensation for their all-too-frequent nightmare. How do they fit into this plan? Some members responded with creative alternatives, such as this from FlyersRights member Nancy N: Start charging for carry-on luggage. Stop charging for checking bags. Compromise: No charge for first 2 checked bags. No charge for briefcases, laptops, ladies' handbags plus 1 other small bag hand-carried on. Option: Charge for use of overhead bins. Compromise: Overhead bins free for coats and 1 small bag. The consensus is that the plan, while academically sound, would probably fail in the real world. Remember, for the very latest in airline passenger rights news, Facebook users can "like" the FlyersRights Fan Page. Also, please check in on our Flyers Rights Education Fund Cause Page. Invitation to Activism We are all activists-all 33,000+ of us. FlyersRights is honored by your support as we speak for you in the halls of government. Perhaps some of you are considering other ways to give back to your communities. Here's a possibility we'd like you to consider. This week is National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. Throughout the country, many cities and counties support adult education schools and literacy programs. Literacy programs, in particular, offer an opportunity for you to make a real difference in the lives of others and in the well-being of your community. Please take a few minutes to watch this video, and then search for adult literacy programs in your area. Most are supported by library systems. For the very latest in airline passenger rights news, Facebook users can "like" theFlyersRights Fan Page. Also, please check in on our Flyers Rights Education Fund Cause Page. Twitter fans can also follow us on Twitter

EPIC Lawsuit Update 9-11-11

EPIC Continues TSA Pressure

Our friends and allies at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) have upped the ante in their ongoing legal battle with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). I was in the EPIC office last January with three FlyersRights volunteers when theorganization filed suit against the TSA, challenging the constitutionality of TSA's full body scanners. Last week, EPIC moved the effort forward.

FlyersRights has consistently voiced our message -- we demand security measures that are effective, safe, constitutional, and consistently applied. We have hammered home the fact that the machines are useless against liquids and powders, both at the January EPIC conference on TSA security and in conference calls on the issue.

EPIC agrees. In their August 31 press release, they announced their issues with a recent federal appeals court decision that some elements of the lawsuit, but denied others. EPIC objected to the appeals court's assertion that the machines are effective, along with other reasons supporting a rehearing on the matter. Chief among those objections is EPIC's challenge of the court's finding that the devices detect "liquid and powders." They know that's simply not true, as we've been saying all along.

Remember, the GAO looked at the effectiveness issue last year, and said "It remains unclear whether the AIT would have detected the weapon used in the December 2009 incident." That was the famous "Underwear Bomber" incident, and the GAO cannot state that the scanners would have detected the powders in the bomber's underwear.

Stay tuned as we continue to work with EPIC on this vital air travel issue.

Ten Years Later 9-9-11

Ten Years After 9/11, TSA Doubts Remain

A decade after this century’s “Day of Infamy,” FlyersRights still questions our government’s efforts to provide real air travel security. Like all other Americans, we at FlyersRights.org want our travel to be safe. However, we demand that security measures imposed upon us be effective, safe, constitutional, and consistently-applied.

Are we getting what we need? Chicago Tribune reporter Jon Hilkevitch recently took a hard look at security issues and the government’s attempts to address them since 9/11. In his September 6^th article, Hilkevitch notes that travel hassles remain, with doubtful assurances of real security. Many Americans (FlyersRights members among them) are dissatisfied and skeptical of what he calls “silly and ineffective security measures designed to obscure glaring weaknesses in a well-funded system that has had 10 years to get it right.”

We pad, barefoot, through security lines, shove our personal belongings into the maw of an X-ray machine, face the choice of standing in a machine that irradiates us while conducting a strip search or submitting to a groping body search, and then spend more time getting reorganized enough to make it to the gate. Yet we aren’t actually contributing to more secure air travel—we’re just participating in an endless game of Security Theater.

There are signs of progress, as the TSA explores better ways to secure our travel, but pilot programs and research are not enough. FlyersRights will continue to speak for America’s air travelling public until sanity returns to air security.

Newsletter Week of September 4th

EPIC Pressures TSA Boarding Plan-What Do You Think? FlyersRights' Craigslist Victim Ticket Terms and Conditions EPIC Pressures TSA Our friends and allies at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) have upped the ante in their ongoing legal battlewith the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). FlyersRights founder and Executive Director Kate Hanni and three FlyersRights volunteers were in the EPIC office last January when the organization filed suit against the TSA, challenging the constitutionality of TSA's full body scanners. Last week, EPIC moved the effort forward. Kate has consistently voiced our message-we demand security measures that are effective, safe, constitutional, and consistently applied. She has hammered home the fact that the machines are useless against liquids and powders, both at the January EPIC conference on TSA security and in conference calls on the issue. EPIC agrees. In their August 31 press release, they announced their issues with a recent federal appeals court decision that some elements of the lawsuit, but denied others. EPIC objected to the appeals court's assertion that the machines are effective, along with other reasons supporting a rehearing on the matter. Chief among those objections is EPIC's challenge of the court's finding that the devices detect "liquid and powders." They know that's simply not true, as Kate has been saying all along. Remember, the GAO looked at the effectiveness issue last year, and said "It remains unclear whether the AIT would have detected the weapon used in the December 2009 incident." That was the famous "Underwear Bomber" incident, and the GAO cannot state that the scanners would have detected the powders in the bomber's underwear. Stay tuned as we continue to work with EPIC on this vital air travel issue. Boarding Plan-What Do You Think? Fermilab astrophysicist Jason Steffen shares our frustration with the many irritants of air travel. Even after we dig through fare information (ferreting out which of the 150 added "fees" will apply), find a place to park at the airport, and make our way through the TSA strip'n'grope, we face the halting shuffle down the jetway and into the airplane. Consider this: how long would it take 132 people to file into seats at a football game? How long does it take those same 132 people to get seated in the 737? Steffan decided to study the aircraft boarding problem and has developed an "optimum boarding plan" that he says could save airlines more than a billion dollars a year. Here's his suggested boarding sequence: Every other windows seat on one side Every other window seat on the other side Every other middle seat Every other aisle seat Repeat the process for the remaining window, middle, and aisle seats He says the procedure gives everyone elbowroom to shove their bags into the overhead and time to get seated without the usual aisle traffic jam. In tests with 72 passengers, he claims boarding time was cut in half when compared to the usual sequence that boards five rows at a time, rear to front. Steffan readily admits that the procedure's reverse would not work at flight's end because we've all had enough by then and just want to get out of there. What do you think? Can his plan work? Let us know at opinion@flyersrights.org. FlyersRights' Craigslist Victim FlyersRights member Mila Morris had an unusual experience recently and asked our help. While planning a Las Vegas vacation, Mila and her husband found some Delta vouchers on Craigslist for a great price. She bought the vouchers for $502, including a $52 fee direct to Delta, after first receiving confirmation from Delta that the tickets were valid. The couple boarded in Nashville and flew to Atlanta for a plane change. Unfortunately, the gate agent at ATL refused to board them and notified them that their tickets were fraudulent. After first deciding to spend the night in Atlanta, they went to collect their luggage, but discovered that it had departed Atlanta without them (a violation of TSA rules), and so they elected to follow it that day. They had no alternative but to buy $1,191 tickets to continue their trip. Listen to Mila tell her story, and to the warning she wants us all to hear. Mila turned to FlyersRights for help after the trip, and we forwarded her e-mail to Delta's Director of Customer Service, asking what they could do to help. Throughout this incident, all parties (except the Craigslist seller) acting in good faith, yet the result was very poor. Delta responded to Mila's message and our request for help, expressing regret for the incident but pointing out that their vouchers clearly prohibit sale or barter. Indeed, anexample of a Delta Credit Voucher displays this warning directly below the certificate details: VOID IF SOLD, BARTERED OR EXCHANGED FOR COMPENSATION When Mila checked the certificate's validity, before buying it, it was valid, as Delta told her. It was only invalidated when it was sold. Still, we asked why the Morris's were allowed to fly the first segment and why their luggage was transported, unaccompanied, to Las Vegas. Delta Airlines did not respond to these questions by press time. The Morris's also objected to aircraft conditions during the rest of the trip and other issues. All in all, the travel experience killed the joy of a Vegas vacation to celebrate their third wedding anniversary and Mila's recent achievement of her MBA degree. Delta refunded the $52 fees and taxes they had collected and provided what they called "service recovery" for the Morris's unfortunate experience with smelly aircraft. Their Director of Customer Services also noted that they have placed a warning on the Atlanta Craigslist site, but that Craigslist rules prevent them from posting that warning on all sites. In her words, "we are planning on doing an educational tweet and blog posting stating again that ticket vouchers may not be sold or bartered." Unfortunately, we were less than 100% successful in this case, but Mila and her husband did receive some compensation for their ordeal. The lessons here are clear: First, beware the brutal, caveat emptor nature of online flea markets like Craigslist. Second, understand that an airline ticket or voucher is a legal contract, and it comes complete with terms and conditions that can make us victims if we don't clearly understand them. Ticket Terms and Conditions The Morris's story mentions the mouse-print terms and conditions on printed tickets and the easier to read but still complex terms and conditions on electronic voucher forms. How many of us read those terms and conditions (called T's and C's), fare rules, or the airline's contract of carriage. Right-just as we thought. The T's and C's may contain almost any restriction or condition the airline wishes to impose. For example, the Delta credit voucher T's and C's include provisions regarding the prohibition against sale or barter, carriers for which the certificate is valid, redemption window, penalties for changes, replacement restrictions (if you lose this, we won't replace it), and, undoubtedly, a statement that by using the voucher the passenger agrees to the T's and C's. Remember, for the very latest in airline passenger rights news, Facebook users can "like" the FlyersRights Fan Page. Also, please check in on our Flyers Rights Education Fund Cause Page.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. "The War Is Not Over" Click here to contribute to FlyersRights.org!

Global Travel Congress

Kate Speaks to Global Travel Congress Hurricane Irene Shatters Air Schedules What Are Your Cancellation Rights? FlyersRights Helps Again Kate Speaks to Global Congress on Travel On August 26th and 27th, our Executive Director addressed the Global Congress on Legal, Safety, and Security Issues in Travel. The Hospitalitylawyer.com-sponsored Global Congress, held in Houston's George P. Brown Convention Center August 25-28, was designed to facilitate safe, secure and uninterrupted travel via an all-encompassing public-privatedialogue dedicated to the sharing of best practices for the global travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. On August 26th Kate participated in "What Have We Learned from Recent Travel Disruptions," a panel discussion held with senior officials from the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, HospitalityLawyer.com, the Professional Convention Management Association, and conTgo, a company that produces mobile travel aid applications. What she learned was that viewpoints differ widely in the travel industry. Kate was your voice in the discussion, as usual. One panel member insisted that the traveling public is mostly interested in problems associated with TSA, not flight delays, while another actually argued with an audience member who said that he felt undervalued as an air traveler. Our Director assured them that while TSA issues are very important to us, delays are the bane of our travel experience, and that we do, overwhelmingly, feel undervalued and harassed. The audience erupted into applause. Saturday, Kate presented to a full house "Traveler Rights: Best Practices in Public Ports When Passengers Are Stranded". She discussed who we are, what we do, and why we do it. The presentation, while humorous and fast-paced, delivered two key messages: Communication, cooperation, and collaboration are conspicuously absent from air travel. Despite years of promises, massive weather problems still create nightmarish passenger situations as airlines, airport managers, and government agencies fail to coordinate their response. Passenger confusion over shifting and inconsistently-applied rules is a major contributor to "travel hell." Hidden fees make fare comparison challenging. Even calling customer service might cost money. We fear arbitrary application of airport security rules-rules that are not published. Flight crews may object to our attire and deny boarding while one airline promotes bikini-clad women on the sides of its airplanes. There is no standard for passenger conduct, and flight crew decisions are final. She told the wide variety of travel buyers, suppliers, and supporters that we are all in this together. Stranded air travelers miss hotel reservations, car rentals, and cruises. Travel is a system, interconnected by the travelers. Hurricane Irene Shatters Air Schedules Weather is the largest single cause of flight cancellations, and last weekend's storm absolutely shattered airline schedules. The effects on the east coast are obvious, but the profound ripple effect vividly demonstrated how fragile our air travel system is. Irene's march up our east coast caused about 13,000 flight cancellations. Thosecancellations were not only at airports directly affected by the storm, but spread throughout the country as flights from other airports found their destinations closed. The domino effect continued as aircraft and crews were not in position for their follow-on segments. Airlines also moved several hundred airplanes out of harm's way, further disrupting resumption of service. While airports are now open, disruptions may continue for several days. If you have travel plans, check your reservation status, and check your flight status frequently as your travel date approaches this week. If you encounter problems you can't solve, contact the FlyersRights Hotline at (877) 359-6776. What Are Your Cancellation Rights? As experienced air travelers know, plans can be interrupted for an astonishing array of reasons. Almost all of those reasons are beyond our control; many of them are beyond the airlines' control, and some would not have occurred if the airlines had been doing their job. So, the answer to the question is "It depends." For any cancellation, you can either request a cash refund or accept a voucher, but the voucher ties you to that airline. The urgency of your travel may help you make that decision. A new booking with the same airline may be easier to come by, and a one-way, short lead time ticket on another airline will almost certainly be very expensive. Interline agreements that once allowed you to take your ticket to any other airline's counter for immediate booking are no longer common. If you can't get an immediate rebooking, you will need lodging and food. Here's where "it depends." If the cancellation was because of a mechanical problem or something else the airline controls (crew availability, for example), then the airline must provide accommodations, usually amounting to a hotel stay and small meal voucher. On the other hand, for uncontrollable circumstances, the short answer is "You're on your own!" No lodging, no food, see you in the morning. The FlyersRights Hotline log is full of member complaints detailing airline insistence that their controllable delays were actually weather-related. Often, the crew first cited mechanical difficulties, and other airline officials shifted to the old "weather defense." If you find your flight cancelled, gather as much information as you can. Use your smartphone to record any cabin announcements regarding delay reasons. Here's a trick-if you're already on board, conspire with a fellow passenger. Have the other person ask for the delay reason while you take a vid of the conversation on your smartphone. Get the names of crew members who speak about the delay reason. FlyersRights Helps Again FlyersRights member Lisa K. had one of "those trips" on Delta last month, and turned to our Hotline (877-359-6776) for help. In the course of that trip, she and her husband experienced three delayed-and then cancelled-flights. When Delta offered neither help nor apology, she turned to us. The first cancellation was for mechanical reasons, and the others were attributed toweather. As we said in the Cancellation Rights article, mechanical reasons are the airlines' fault, just like any other cause they could have prevented, but weather cancellations leave us on our own. Delta focused on the weather cancellations when denying Lisa and her husband any help at all. When Lisa called our Hotline, our Hotline Director, Dr. Joel Smiler, connected her with our Delta contact-their Director of Customer Care. After a brief exchange, Delta provided some compensation and an apology. Here's what Lisa said to Joel: We really appreciate your assistance....I doubt we would have received anything if you hadn't helped us. I was also told that they will use our experience to improve their service...hopefully they will follow through and help future Delta passengers avoid the problems we had. Thanks again....it's a relief to know that an organization like flyers rights is out there to help people deal with these types of situations! We very much appreciate Delta's increasing customer focus. The Hotline is there for you, absolutely free, 24/7. You iPhone users should also check out our iPhone App on the website. Remember, for the very latest in airline passenger rights news, Facebook users can "like" the FlyersRights Fan Page. Also, please check in on our Flyers Rights Education Fund Cause Page.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. "The War Is Not Over" Click here to contribute to FlyersRights.org! www.flyersrights.org Hotline: (877) 359-3776

August Newsletter

No Refund of FAA Taxes

When the FAA was shut down for two weeks by Congressional inaction on the FAA Reauthorization Bill, the agency also lost authorization to collect their normal 7.5% ticket tax, $3.70 tax on each segment of travel, and $16.30 international arrival/departure tax. Although you pay the tax at time of ticket purchase, it is legally only collected at the time the ticket is used. So, if you bought your ticket before July 22 but flew after that date, you were charged taxes that the FAA could not collect.

In our last newsletter, we reported an IRS statement saying that people in that situation might be due a refund. However, the August 10th IRS news release on the issue made it clear that this isn't the case. When Congress passed the FAA Bill Extension on August 8th, they retroactively reinstated the taxes. It's as if the interruption never occurred.

So, there will be no refunds. On the other hand, the IRS has decided that it will not retroactively collect taxes from those of you who bought tickets during the two-week shutdown period.

The House is also considering a bill to pay the 4,000 laid-off FAA workers for their furlough time. However, the tens of thousands of construction workers laid off when FAA construction projects were put on hold are just out of luck.

Remember all those airlines that simply raised their prices to pocket the uncollected taxes? Some airlines returned prices to normal quickly and some were dragging their feet. While we were very disappointed when Southwest participated in this scam, we are glad to note that they were among the first to roll prices back. Almost all domestic carriers are starting the process. As Kate said in the article, we're pleasantly surprised.

Delta and American Redefine Customer Focus

After a period of demonstrable improvement in Delta Airlines' customer focus, the airline has chosen a new definition of the term. As reported by three FlyersRights members, Delta imposed new rules on their frequent flier program that have left our members fuming.

Frequent flier programs are designed to build customer loyalty by rewarding those who spend the most money with the airline. However, we know that most airlines will push the envelope as far as they can when it comes to truly valuing our business.

Effective August 15, Delta's frequent fliers face a 72-hour barrier to changing or cancelling "award" tickets. Travelers needing to change tickets for any reason will simply lose the miles they spent on the trip. Moreover, confirmed upgrades secured through frequent flier miles will cause mileage loss if the upgrade cannot be confirmed on a changed flight.

FlyersRights member Jason K summed it up perfectly when he said:

So we get hit with the change fee to rebook the ticket, lose the upgrade, and they don't refund the miles we used to confirm the upgrade in advance on the original ticket.
Delta has also made the ruling retroactive, so even tickets booked before August 15th are subject to the new policy.

American also displayed an interesting new definition of the term. A traveler bought, through AA.com, a first-class, round-trip ticket from Hong Kong to New York on Cathay Pacific. The customer, an active blogger known as The Points Guy, was amazed to learn that American insisted that he had purchased a coach ticket.

Notified of the error, American offered some re-routing options that The Point Guy found unacceptable, all the while holding onto his $3,700. When he pushed them for recompense, he received no response via phone or e-mail. Logging into his AA account, he was amazed to discover that the ticket was cancelled. As he observed, AA apparently doesn't charge itself cancellation fees, and provides that "service" to its customers free of charge when it suits its purposes.

Customer focus?
Tarmac Delays Up-No DOT Action

USA Today reported that 14 flights spent more than three hours on the tarmac in June, compared to only three in June of 2010. This marks the second month in a row of double-digit extended delays. While the TSA says it issued a couple of warning letters, no fines have been levied to date.

"A rule without teeth is meaningless," says Hanni, executive director of FlyersRights.org. "If (the department) doesn't impose fines, tarmac delays will continue to increase. Airlines are going to push the envelope because they're not scared."

Kate had a great interview with WWL's Garland Robinette last week. She discussed this issue at length, explained the pending DOT rules, and answered call-in questions from listeners. Her wide-ranging comments on everything from baggage fees to tarmac delays to TSA abuses make this radio interview a primer on the full range of airline passenger rights issues.
Another TSA Pilot Program

A new program began last week at Chicago O'Hare Airport. The Known Crewmember program will allow pilots to bypass the TSA strip and grope lines. As we've pointed out many times, pilots are subject to rigorous background checks, and fly the trip in the seats with the aircraft's controls, , so frisking them is just plain silly.

In belated recognition of that obvious truth, TSA officers will now positively identify the identity and employment status of flight crew members and deem that "good enough." At this time, the program is limited to pilots, but the Airline Pilots Association urges the TSA to include flight attendants in the future. FlyersRights supports that suggestion.


"The War Is Not Over"
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