Hill is on the Bill!!! Notice the Senators that have Co-sponsored S:678 if yours hasn't why not?

Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] - 5/7/2007
Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] - 4/1/2008
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] - 3/20/2007
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] - 2/28/2007
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 2/28/2007
Sen Reid, Harry [NV] - 7/19/2007
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] - 4/1/2008
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] - 2/17/2007

Model Bill For State Legislation: Burt Rubin, Esq.

Coalition For An Airline Passengers’ Bill Of Rights
Model State Bill

A. Responsibilities of airlines under certain circumstances Whenever airline passengers have been involuntarily detained on the ground aboard commercial aircraft for more than three hours prior to takeoff or following landing, the airline shall ensure that they are provided as needed with: (1) electric generation service to provide temporary power for climate control and lights; (2) waste removal service in order to service the holding tanks for on-board restrooms; and (3) adequate food and drinking water.

No airline passenger shall be involuntarily confined on the ground aboard a commercial aircraft at any airport within this State for more than 3 hours prior to departure or after arrival, provided, however, that this provision shall not apply if the pilot of such aircraft reasonably determines that such aircraft will depart within not more than 30 minutes next following such 3-hour delay or that permitting a passenger to deplane would jeopardize the safety of the passenger, other passengers or the aircraft.

B. Explanations of rights All airlines operating within this State shall, upon request, provide clear, written explanations of the rights of airline passengers under this Act.

C. Enforcement The Attorney General is hereby authorized to recover from any airline that violates this Act, a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars per passenger per violation; provided, however, that each continuous period of involuntary detention aboard an aircraft without complying with one or more of the requirements of Paragraph A hereof shall be considered a single violation. Any such penalty shall take into consideration any compensation paid or offered by the airline to passengers. The civil penalty imposed pursuant to this Paragraph may be sought in a civil action brought by the Attorney General in any court of competent jurisdiction. If the Attorney General prevails in any such civil action, the court may award the Attorney General reasonable attorneys' fees and an amount equal to the ordinary costs and expenses incurred by the Attorney General in investigating and prosecuting the violation, as it deems appropriate. If the Attorney General reaches a settlement with any airline, such settlement shall include an amount at least equal to the ordinary costs and expenses incurred by the Attorney General in investigating and prosecuting the violation.

D. Relationship to Federal Law Nothing in this Act shall be construed as requiring any airline, airport or other entity to take any action in contravention of any Federal statute or rule or regulation adopted by the United States Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration or any other Federal agency having jurisdiction over such entity.

E. Severability If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this Act is adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder hereof but shall be applied in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part hereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.

Travel Weekly Magazines Taps Kate Hanni for Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kate Hanni
03 December 2007 (707) 337-0328

www.flyersrights.comhttp://Strandedpassengers.blogspot.com


AIR PASSENGER ADVOCATE NAMED MOST INFLUENTIAL
Travel Weekly Magazine Taps Kate Hanni
Most Visible Force for Passenger Bill of Rights

(Los Angeles, CA) 03 December 2007 – Travel Weekly Magazine… considered by many to be the most influential voice for the nation’s travel industry… has named Kate Hanni as one of this year’s most influential people for positive changes in the travel industry. “I was honored and surprised to be included with such an illustrious group of people,” said Hanni in a phone conversation from her home in the California Wine Country. “This is so gratifying to me personally and to everyone who has worked so hard to make a real Airline Passenger Bill of Rights a national priority.” Hanni’s coalition of airline passenger advocates is the largest in the nation, with almost 22,000 members. She shares the Travel Weekly honors with former VP and Nobel Laureate Al Gore and Virgin Atlantic Chairman Sir Richard Branson, among others.

Hanni gained national prominence after a horrifying and well-publicized nine hour stranding ordeal on an American Airlines jet in Dallas in December of 2006. From testimony before Congress to numerous appearances on the national TV talk show circuit, Hanni became a strong and passionate advocate for the “little guy” in his and her struggle against the airline goliaths. “Basic human needs… like toilette paper, working toilettes, food and water go unmet in these airline stranding incidents. And no matter what the big airline PR departments want you to believe…the problem is not getting better. The problem is getting worse.” Hanni has a wide selection of airline stranding “horror stories” from here own personal experience on that famous American Airlines flight and from numerous coalition members. “People get desperate… they panic. We have reports of fist fights on board stranded aircraft, police arrests, people vomiting… toilettes overflowing into the aisles. Human beings should never be treated this way.” Hanni contends that airline greed is the real problem and she is adamant in her belief that it will take a Government mandated Airline Passengers Bill of Rights to rectify the situation. “Airline industry attempts at these band aid solutions are way too little… way too late. This is going to take the active involvement of our Federal representatives to finally take a stand for everyone who travels. The honor from Travel Weekly Magazine will definitely help with our efforts as we look for national passage of the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights this coming legislative session.”

The Coalition for Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights has set up two toll free hotline numbers so that the traveling public and airline employees can report airline strandings and airline bad behavior. The number for the traveling public is 877- Flyers-6 and the anonymous airline employee tip line is (877) 887-2678. Requests for more information and media interviews with Kate Hanni should be directed to Ms. Hanni at (707) 337-0328. ###

Who's Been Naughty and Nice With the Airlines

CAPBOR ANNOUNCES ITS HOLIDAY AIRLINE PROGRAM
“WHO’S NAUGHTY AND NICE WITH THE AIRLINES”
Putting the Integrity, Dignity and Wellbeing back in Flying

New York, NY – Today Kate Hanni, founder of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights, made the following statement; “We advocate putting the integrity, dignity and wellbeing back in air travel. And to do this we are introducing our four point plan:

· We will be manning a 24/7 toll-free hotline (1-877-FLYERS6) to provide a free service offering hotel, flight status and alternatives, car rental and weather information (among other things) for stranded travelers.
· Our website is being upgraded to allow consumers to post their airline service issues along with airline responses where applicable.
· Coalition members will positioned in major airports during the holidays to distribute Coalition brochures that contain useful information for passengers experiencing extended delays, bumpings, and other airline related problems.
· Tis the holiday season, and what would the holidays be without presents? The Coalition is offering a Christmas Prize Stocking Stuffer of Cold Hard Cash for the Best, most dramatic Stranding Video. Video’s must be turned in by January 5th, First Prize will be for the best, most dramatic video and will fetch $500.00 cash prize…not flight vouchers. Second prize will be $250.00 cash prize…third prize will be $100.00 and the contest ends January 5th 2008.
· Anonymous Tip Line for Employees of Airlines who are have any concerns for Passenger Safety, Security, Deceptive or unfair management practices, baggage issues, anything they’d like to report. Simply call our hotline with a blocked caller ID and tell us our story!




Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights has 21,000 members and has been in force since Feb. 10, 2007. www.flyersrights.org or 1-877-FLYERS6 for our full time manned hotline beginning the day before Thanksgiving. Kate Hanni is the Founder she may be reached by cell phone at (707) 337-0328. USPIRG, Public Citizen, ACAP, Public Interest Research Group all support the Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights.


Services Offered on our hotline:

Give information in real time internet sources (for example weather) and reasonably predict your flight options
We will e-mail your family or business associates and let them know where you are
Turn off your cell phone and conserve energy
3 hours is the time at which we call media, period. They decide if it’s news.
Rental car information
Hotel information
Get media to your airport if you are stuck on the tarmac
Give you straight answers on Chronically Delayed Flights
Advice on how to get a refund
Make sure if you go to get a refund that your incident is coded correctly
We will document with all issues: baggage – frequent flyer miles – ground stops- delays – strandings -
###

POSITIONS OF COALITION FOR AN AIRLINE PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS (CAPBOR) AND AVIATION CONSUMER ACTION PROJECT (ACAP) RE AIRLINE DELAYS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE AT NYC AREA AIRPORTS

I. REASONABLE REGULATIONS BY FAA/DOT UNDER EXISTING AUTHORITY CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE DELAYS IN THE SHORT TERM AT LITTLE OR NO COST.

A. FAA/DOT should hold public hearings and open meetings to discuss ideas and proposals for delay reduction immediately. Such meeting can allow all interested parties: airlines, airports and airline passengers and nearby residents of airports to have their views and proposals heard, considered and debated.

Closed meetings held on October 23-24^th by a DOT appointed Aviation Rulemaking Committee consisting primarily of airlines with no genuine airline passenger organizations, no air traffic controller organizations, no pilot or flight crew organizations and even excluding the NYS Consumer Protection Board, charged under newly enacted legislation with advocating for the interests of airline passengers, makes this process unbalanced, unfair, and probably illegal as in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and Open Meetings laws.

President Bush has ordered DOT Secretary Mary Peters to come up with regulations to reduce delays at New York City area airports by December, calling the present situation unacceptable, but DOT efforts have so far only resulted in recriminations and knee jerk opposition to any regulation by the airlines and the Port Authority that controls the NYC area airports.

B. Truth in Scheduling Regulation and Delay Statistics. DOT must exercise its responsibility to eliminate deceptive and unfair airline over-scheduling practices by banning flights that are deceptively scheduled (i.e. those that are late more than 70% of the time or those that are cancelled more than 8% of the time) and requiring airlines to affirmatively notify passengers and prospective passengers of chronically delayed flights on time statistic (those flights late more than 40% of the time, or cancelled more than 5% of the time). This regulation could dramatically reduce demand for the most congested times through market forces as most passengers will not book travel on such flights.

Delayed passengers on deceptively scheduled flights should also receive compensation for their time and inconvenience based on bumping rule compensation rates (equal to the amount paid for the ticket or double the price of the ticket for delays over 4 hours). At present, airlines that schedule accurately are at a competitive disadvantage to those that use deceptive or even fraudulent scheduling practices. Since passengers have no recourse for delays caused by deceptive scheduling practices, airlines have little or no financial incentives to avoid deceptive scheduling practices.

Finally, CAPBOR and ACAP have proven and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has admitted that delay statistics fail to capture most tarmac confinements, flight diversions and inaccurately count cancellations as zero minutes delay thereby omitting the most serious delays affecting millions of airline passengers and failing to count billions of hours of passenger delays. The BTS must accurately capture the delay data and stop misleading the public with drastically understated statistics on airline delays and their consequent costs to the economy and burdens on air travelers. So far it has failed to do so.

C. Reasonable Limits on Scheduling at choke point airports, especially in NYC-Washington corridor.

Only so many aircraft can take off or land during a given hour. At JFK the capacity has been calculated by the FAA to be 80 flights per hour. However, during peak hours, flights are being scheduled at 125% of airport capacity. This has led to long delays of an hour or more on the tarmac or in landing even in ideal weather conditions.

The hard part is deciding how take off or landing slots at the most congested times are assigned to the airlines, as each airline wants unlimited freedom to schedule flights during the most popular times. If assignments are made by DOT/FAA edict, slots are likely to favor those with the most potent lobbies and would likely reduce competition and increase air fares. Bidding for slots favors airlines with the deepest pockets and is also likely to drive up air fares for the most popular times. A lottery system could be used that would not increase costs, but could arguably still reduce competition.

ACAP and CAPBOR favor an annual lottery system for slot assignments at heavily congested times that strongly favors flights with the most passengers, as this would increase the number of passengers that could travel during congested times without overloading the system or increasing costs, air fares and delays.

The only short term strategy for increasing capacity at major city airports is greater use of wide bodied aircraft to increase throughput and reduce congestion. However, airlines have frustrated this strategy by increasing the number of flights while reducing the size of airliners, virtually eliminating the use of wide bodied jets for domestic air travel, thereby aggravating congestion and delays at major airports. Congested airports during their rush hours need the equivalent of HOV lanes on major highways used by commuters in and around major urban areas.

D. Revenue Neutral Congestion Pricing. Some FAA and airports favor increasing landing and departure fees during congested times at major airports. However, without reducing fees at uncongested times this approach would simply increase airport and FAA revenues and airline costs, while likely increasing air fares overall. Moreover, since such fees are relatively low, their effect on congestion related delays is likely to be minimal unless the increases were dramatic.

ACAP and CAPBOR favors standby use of congestion pricing that is revenue neutral (ie increasing fees for congested times but reducing them for uncongested times) and reducing fees for larger aircraft that carry more passengers and increasing them for smaller aircraft (fees are generally set by weight of aircraft with smaller aircraft paying much lower fees but using the same amount of airport take off and landing capacity as larger aircraft). The much smaller take off and landing fees paid by smaller aircraft is another reason why airlines have increasingly favored use of smaller aircraft. However, congestion pricing may be unnecessary if Truth in Scheduling regulations and slot control regulations are effective in reducing congestion related delays.

E. Right to Deplane after three hours or less. New York JFK Airport and Jet Blue Airlines received national headlines when they stranded several thousand passengers in February by confining them against their will in aircraft on the tarmac for up to 11 hours without adequate food, water, or sanitary facilities. American and several other airlines have had over a dozen similar incidents of mass strandings. Without a right to exit the aircraft or deplane, passengers will increasingly be subject to wrongful imprisonment by airlines (who use this technique to avoid paying alternate transportation on other airlines, hotel and other expenses long associated with extended delays or cancellations). New York State has enacted legislation banning such practices, however, the airlines have threatened to go to court to overturn this law based on federal pre-emption of regulation of customer service. Even minimal Airline Passengers Rights legislation is stalled in Congress, and the pending bills contain no right to deplane no matter how extended the tarmac confinement.

CAPBOR and ACAP accordingly call on DOT/FAA is immediately enact as an emergency measure a regulation requiring passengers be given the right to exit the aircraft after a delay of 3 hours or more. This would both relieve unnecessary passenger hardship and provide another incentive for airlines to avoid over scheduling and resulting delays that are compounded into frequent grid lock at airports in the New York City area that also delays national and international air traffic.

The CEO of Jet Blue testified in April at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing that he saw no reason why other airlines could not provide for deplaning in situations of extended tarmac delays and that Jet Blue had leased a special area at JFK airport for this purpose.

F. Contingency Planning when a major airport is unavailable. The unavailability of a major NYC airport for any length of time, whether from natural or man made causes, not only causes massive delays for New York City area but disrupts national and international air traffic for many hours to several days.

Contingency planning should provide for diversion of incoming flights to outlying airports at Newburgh (45 miles north of Manhattan), Westchester (20 miles north of Manhattan) and Islip (55 miles east of Manhattan), with ground transportation to bring passengers to their NYC destinations or to other airports as needed for alternate air transportation. These secondary airports have excess capacity. The cost of such emergency diversion and alternate transportation should be borne by the Port Authority that controls all major transportation access to and from New York City and generates enormous revenue from the airports, bridges, and tunnels that it owns and operates.

The need for contingency planning is well documented and widely recognized, but the DOT/FAA has neglected to require any such planning and therefore no effective alternative transportation plan exists for major disruption or unavailability of one or more of the three main NYC airports (JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark).

ACAP and CAPBOR call on DOT/FAA to mandate such planning with a deadline of no longer than six months to have a contingency plan in place. The lead agency should be the NYS Transportation Department with the airlines, FAA, Port Authority, MTA, FEMA in secondary roles as those actors have shown themselves to be dysfunctional and unable to cooperate in such contingency planning in the past and/or have conflicting financial interests. Airline passengers must also be represented in such planning.

G. Increased use of secondary airports and underutilized military air fields for commercial transportation.

These and several other promising proposals have not been seriously considered by FAA/DOT, much less adopted, due to industry opposition to any regulation or proposal that would impinge on the power of each interest group to do as it pleases. As a result of the disinclination of FAA/DOT leadership to implement any regulation or proposal opposed by industry, degradation of the air transportation system has accelerated under the Bush Administration.

H. Need for Presidential Commission. CAPBOR and ACAP propose that President Bush appoint a White House Commission or Task Force on National Air Transportation Delays and Passenger Rights & Services, with genuine airline passenger representation, to break up the bureaucratic and industry lobby paralysis that has infected the national air transportation system. The transportation committees of Congress are bastions of pork barrel politics with a leadership heavily influenced by industry campaign contributions and have so far proven incapable of effectively dealing with most air transportation problems or enacting needed reforms.

This commission should be charged with developing an action plan to relieve delays and provide for minimum mandatory standards for passenger service. Also, this commission should be able to end the regulatory default, bureaucratic inertia and turf battles that have effectively exempted airlines from all health, sanitary, consumer protection and occupational safety laws that apply to all other providers of public accommodations in the United States.

II. LONGER TERM IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED TO REDUCE DELAYS AND IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

A. Use of high speed rail connecting airports in major cities with downtown business districts and each other. Presently not being done because airports depend on vehicle parking, taxi, car rental, and bus fees to provide over 70% of revenue.

B. Expansion of smaller airports around large metro areas, and addition of more runways at large airports to accommodate increased use of regional and corporate jets, and air taxi services.

C. Construction of new major airports for Chicago, New York City/Boston, Denver.

D. Implementation of fail safe GPS air traffic control, keeping in mind the multiple failures of the FAA to modernize air traffic control over many years not withstanding expenditure of billions of taxpayer/passenger dollars, and greater use of private companies to construct and design the system, with a commission to oversee it with consumer as well as industry representation.

III. GROUND DELAYS DUE TO BAGGAGE HANDLING, CAR RENTAL FACILITIES AND SECURITY NEED TO BE STREAMLINED.

A. Baggage Mishandling is the second most common passenger complaint after delayed flights. Airlines have by regulation enjoyed low liability limits for mishandled and lost or stolen baggage (now at under $3,000 per passenger), and as a result have under invested in or eliminated baggage security. Federal Express, UPS and the US Postal Service all track by computer their packages, but airlines do not, even though bar codes on baggage easily allows them to do so.

The reason is it is less expensive to pay for lost baggage at low liability limits than to pay for modern security tracking systems. Airlines also have a financial incentive to encourage passengers to use carry on luggage which they handle themselves, as this frees up space for profitable cargo shipments in airliner baggage compartments and reduces airline costs for baggage handling.

DOT needs to require checked baggage tracking systems to reduce mishandled and lost baggage and consequent delays, improve security, and increase liability limits for lost or mishandled baggage.

B. Off Sight Centralized Car Rental facilities have been built at most large airports. These facilities can increase delays for passengers since they require a shuttle bus that adds 10-30 minutes to a passenger’s trip each way. The reason these facilities are popular with airports is that they generate extra revenue for the airport and free up space at the airport that can be leased or used for high priced parking.

The FAA/DOT and Congress need to ensure that these facilities are not used as just another means to exact more revenue, taxes, and revenue from passengers and to increase delays. FAA/DOT currently fails to regulate these facilities and local airport authorities are exempt from anti-trust regulations. Ground transportation facilities at airports should lose their anti-trust exemptions as be treated as what they are: quasi-monopolies.

For example, since the BWI car rental facility was opened delays have increased due to shortages of vehicles apparently caused by MD Dept. of Aviation regulations and consolidation in the car rental industry, and car rental fees and expenses to consumers have more than doubled in the past 2 years.

C. Security procedures have increased delays with long lines at peak travel times. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reduced lines and wait times but this is still a major problem at some airports and needs to be addressed by opening more lines and increasing personnel at peak times (they can be reduced at non-peak times). TSA needs to increase staffing at peak periods with overtime, flex time, shift pay incentives, part time and/or overlapping shifts.

Dated: October 31, 2007

Washington, D.C.

Paul Hudson

Executive Director

Aviation Consumer Action Project (ACAP)

A nonprofit organization acting as a voice for airline passengers on national aviation issues since 1971 with no airline industry funding

Member, Executive Committee –FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee

Member, TSA Aviation Security Advisory Committee

Board Member, Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights

410-940-8934

acapaviation@yahoo.com globetrotter1947@hotmail.com

Kate Hanni, Founder and Executive Director

The Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights (CAPBOR)

The largest nonprofit organization representing the interests of airline passengers with over 20,000 individual member/supporters (growing at 1,000-3,000 new members per month since January 2007) and with organizational members including the Consumer Federation of America, US PIRG, Public Citizen and ACAP, no airline industry funding

kate@flyersrights.com 707-337-0328

Strand-IN-Invitation to Congress Template

August 16, 2007

To the Honorable Proper name here

U.S. House of Representatives

OR

U.S. Senate

Washington, D.C.

Dear Representative or Senator name:

I am a member of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights and your loyal constituent. I am cordially inviting you to attend a simulation of the experiences that people like me and tens of thousands of American passengers have endured at the hands of commercial airlines.

If you have ever wanted to see first-hand what being trapped in an aircraft for 8 to 14 hours against your will is like – then please join our organization for this important event. The Coalition for an Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights is holding a Strand-In on the National Mall between 12th and 13th Streets on September 19th. Look for the Flyers Rights airplane on the mall. Coalition members from around the country, students, and members of Congress who support the need for Congressional action on behalf of airline passengers are gathering to make their voices heard in regard to the continuing inhuman treatment of airline passengers.

The purpose of the Strand-In is to convince Congress that the FAA Reauthorization Bills (H.R. 2881 and S. 1300) must require airlines to establish a maximum tarmac delay period and to have the U.S. Secretary of Transportation enforce them. According to the Department of Transportation, the contingency plans currently offered by the airlines are not enforceable.

I am only asking for you to attend for a few minutes to demonstrate your support. If you cannot make it, I would appreciate you sending a staff member.

Our organization expects a large national media presence for this event. Speeches will be from noon to 1:00 pm. If you wish to make any formal remarks, please let the Coalition know in advance (see contact information below). We anticipate a full flight - so reserve your seat soon!

I promise you won’t be bumped.

Sincerely,

Your name and your address

Member of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights

Getting there: Use the Smithsonian Metro Station – exit at 12^th and Jefferson. Very limited parking is available on Jefferson and in general area. Use mass transit or taxi.

For more information about the Strand-In, up-to-date information (copies of Coalition materials, etc.), please visit www.flyersrights.org or contact:

Kate Hanni

kate@flyersrights.com

(707) 337-0328, or

Map:

Coalition calls on Congress to Stop the Rhetoric and Protect Passengers' Rights

For Immediate Release: July 10, 2007
Kate Hanni: Spokeswoman CAPBOR (707)337-0328

Coalition for Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights Wants Action not Rhetoric from Members of Congress

Coalition Urges Key Members to Keep their Promise to the Flying Public - Give Airline Passengers Legal Rights

Napa Valley, CA (July 9. 2007) – The Coalition for Passengers Bill of Rights (CAPBOR), the fastest growing passengers’ coalition in the country, issues the following statement from its Founder and Executive Director, Kate Hanni.

“The flying public continues to fall victim to a vast rise in episodes of strandings and horrific experiences of being held against their will on major commercial airlines. From the strandings in late December of 2006, which led to the formation of our coalition to the continued and systematic entrapment of tens of thousands passengers for countless hours over the last 7 months, the complete and utter failure of commercial airlines to provide even the most basic levels of customer service to passengers continue to ignite shock and anger. As we have stated too many times in the past, enough is enough - the flying public deserves better from the airlines.

Congress has also joined our efforts. The House and Senate have included language in recent bills that are aimed at protecting the flying public from the traumatic situations that we are all too familiar with.
We commend the efforts of Senator Boxer, Senator Snowe & Senator Lautenberg. In the house of Representatives Mike Thompson has shown tremendous leadership and a great sense of commitment to passengers’ rights.
Although these actions are an important step in the right direction, Congressional rhetoric alone will not suffice. We need more members of Congress to weigh in on this important legislation and make sure the flying public remains on the forefront of the Congressional agenda. We cannot and should not be forgotten.

Given the importance of our mission to ensure that no other passengers are ever stranded, trapped or abandoned, we call on every member of the Senate and House Transportation Committee and their Honorable Chairs to keep their word and honor their commitments. Furthermore, we urge all Members of Congress to join our efforts and protect the flying public.”

We also need to call to action consumers to call on their members of Congress and say “enough is enough”. “We are tired of the long hot travel season from hell and we want passengers rights legislation that is meaningful, not empty promises”. Call 202-224-3121 for your member of Congress today and go to http://www.flyersrights.com/ and sign our petition to get involved and fight for your rights.

The Coalition for an Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights’ efforts have well paid off since the beginning of its mission. The number of voices that have joined the coalition’s efforts in support of an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights continues to grow at a feverish pace. We now proudly count on the support of 16,000 members, which believes as we do that the commercial airlines have an obligation to provide passengers with basic rights and legal recourse with strong protections.

###
Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights is the largest grassroots airline passengers’ rights organization in the country with 16,068 members to date. We also include ACAP, USPIRG, Consumer Federation of America and Public Citizen as Consumer Organizations. In addition we have been joined by the United Flight Attendants and United Airline Pilots Association in support of our Legislation as we proposed it. Our Coalition discovered that the DOT wasn’t counting Diverted or Cancelled Flights for Time on the Tarmac and we have initiated a 6 month report card for the airlines with the worst Strandings record and worst customer service issues.

Hotline Number: 1-877-Flyers-6

You will get an answering machine and instructions for what to do when stranded. We will answer your questions to the best of our ability about other issues. If your baggage is lost, unfortunately the airlines end up selling your bags at http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/ . You can go there to view your precious items. It this bothers you CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND ASK THEM TO INCLUDE OUR BAGGAGE CLAUSE IN THE BILL. At this point our baggage clause has been ignored by Congress.

We are here for you. We will do our best. We are a non-profit and need your donations in order to keep afloat. Airline miles, cash (every dollar helps), hotel points etc.

Your Fearless Leader,

Kate Hanni, Founder
CAPBOR

ACAP and CAPBOR Decry False Statistics on Flight Delays

PRESS RELEASE
For more information contact
Paul Hudson 410-940-8934
For Release June 22, 2007

Aviation Consumer Groups Decry False Statistics on Flight Delays: Call for Congressional Investigation and Passage of Passenger Rights Legislation

Washington, DC- An unusual public meeting was held on June 20th called by the DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) attended by over 150 airline representatives on how to fix inaccurate and incomplete data reporting of flight delays and strandings. At the meeting, aviation consumer groups charged the agency was misleading the flying public with flight delay statistics that omit the most serious delays caused by flight cancellations and diversions, called for the agency to correct misleading testimony submitted to Congress by high DOT officials at April hearings on strandings, and suggested ways to fix reporting deficiencies.

Paul Hudson, executive director of the Aviation Consumer Action Project (ACAP), noted that “DOT delay statistics are inaccurate to the point of being deceptive. For example, the agency now admits that there were over 16,000 flight diversions last year but it collected no data on the delays this caused passengers. The DOT also admits that it does not count cancellations, which are now one in 20 flights, as causing any delay. It also has now admitted it fails to record time on tarmac confinements of up to 12 hours, including the mass stranding by Jet Blue at JFK Airport in February that received national headlines.”

“If the agency that is charged with preventing deceptive practices by airlines does not correct its own inaccurate testimony and public statements, it is itself guilty of misleading the public and Congress. Current DOT reports on airline flight delays are like a doctor telling a patient all about his hang nails, but omitting to mention he also has cancer.”

Last week the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights (CAPBOR) issued a study that detailed the inaccurate statistics and provided estimates based on media reports and verified eye witness accounts of strandings, showing that serious delays are grossly understated in DOT statistics based on airline self reporting. http://www.flyersrights.com/http://strandedpassengers.blogspot.com/

On April 11th consumer groups testified at a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee regarding the inaccurate DOT statistics, their testimonies and those of the DOT and the airlines are available on the Committee web site.

Detailed comments by ACAP were filed today with DOT under Docket No. RITA 2007 28522.

-30-

See the CAPBOR Report Card at the link below

http://www.uspirg.org/html/consumer/archives/capborreportcardjune2007.pdf