Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday announced a new partnership with more than a dozen state attorneys general to investigate consumer complaints against airlines.
The partnership establishes a process for state attorneys general's offices to review traveler complaints and pass the baton to the federal Department of Transportation, which can then take enforcement action against airlines.
“The assistance that the state attorney general's office is providing will expand our ability to protect airline passengers,” Buttigieg said at Denver International Airport with Democratic Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, one of the attendees. “It means that it is.” partnership.
The federal and state effort is Buttigieg's latest move aimed at improving protections for air travelers and ensuring airlines are held accountable when they make a mistake. During his tenure, the Department of Transportation imposed more than $164 million in fines against airlines, the department said. Buttigieg also called on airlines to allow children to sit with their parents for free and to improve the services they provide to travelers experiencing long delays or cancellations.
The Department of Transportation announced that it has signed an agreement that includes attorneys general from 15 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. did. of partnership.
The attorneys general of the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands also participated, bringing the total number of people involved to 18, the department said. Of these, 16 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.
Federal law generally prohibits states from enforcing their own consumer protection laws against airlines. State attorneys general are seeking federal legislation that would give them the power to take action against airlines, just as they do against companies in other industries.
The new partnership doesn't give them that power. Instead, their office investigates complaints from travelers and, if they determine there may be a violation of federal consumer protection regulations, takes the matter to the Department of Transportation under a fast-track process. There is a possibility that it will be referred. Federal authorities could then review the complaint and take enforcement action.
“In an ideal world, states would be given formal authority to enforce consumer protection laws alongside the Department of Transportation,” Weiser said. “So far Congress has not taken action on this matter, but we are not waiting for action.”
Airlines for America, a trade group representing the nation's largest airlines, said in a statement that it regularly works with the Department of Transportation and state attorneys general to improve the airline experience for travelers.
“We appreciate the role of state attorneys general and their efforts on behalf of consumers,” the group said, adding that it looks forward to continuing to work with them.
