Wyden, Colleagues Slam Trump Administration for Increasing Costs of Air Travel
By U.S. Senator Ron Wyden,
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to urge the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reverse its decision to roll back consumer protections for airline passengers in Oregon and nationwide that built on the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act and kept costs low.
Specifically, Donald Trump’s DOT is rolling back protections implemented under the Biden administration that required airlines to compensate passengers for flight delays and cancellations, and provide consumers transparent information upfront about the costs of extra plane ticket fees. DOT’s actions to roll back these protections will result in American consumers facing higher travel costs, especially as we head into a busy holiday travel season.
“Last year, Congress acted to protect the flying public from airline-caused disruptions and surprise costs. The law guaranteed the right to a hassle-free refund for passengers when flights are cancelled or significantly delayed regardless of cause. The law also required airlines to have policies in place to compensate passengers for significant flight disruptions within an airline’s control, and be transparent about fees — such as baggage fees or change fees — that they charge consumers. The regulations recently targeted by the Department build upon the consumer protection framework established under the law,” the senators wrote to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
“This is a common-sense proposal: when an airline’s mistake imposes unanticipated costs on families, the airline should try to remedy the situation by providing accommodations to consumers and helping cover their costs. By cancelling this rulemaking, the Department is actively foregoing an easy solution to foster consumer confidence and address the problem of unaffordable travel for many families,” the senators continue.
“We urge DOT to reconsider its decision to roll back these important cost-saving protections for the flying public and to implement the bipartisan FAA law requirements as Congress intended. American families deserve transparency in airline pricing and fair compensation for travel disruptions. These cost-saving consumer protections should be strengthened, not weakened,” the senators conclude.
The letter was led by U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey, D-Mass, Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. In addition to Wyden, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Marin Heinrich, D-N.M., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
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