Today, April 20, Will Be Remembered As A Milestone in the Extension of Consumer Protections to Air Passengers

You will be reading, in every form of media ranging from newspapers to websites to TV newscasts, about the regulations proposed today by the Department of Transportation under the direction of Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation. Those new rules, if finally adopted, will at last require airlines to include all taxes and fees in the prices they advertise for a flight. They will give passengers 24 hours in which to revoke a reservation for a flight scheduled more than a week ahead. They will extend the rule against stranding passengers on the tarmac for more than four hours, hitherto limited to domestic flights, to international flights. They will greatly increase the compensation to passengers for being bounced from an overbooked flight.

What a brouhaha will now erupt! Already, the airlines have issued protests dripping with dire predictions. You may recall that when similar rules against tarmac strandings were applied to domestic flights about a year ago, every air carrier predicted there would be wholesale cancellations of flights by airlines seeking to avoid penalties for such strandings. This didn't happen, and it seems likely that many of the other protests and loud denunciations will also turn out to be exaggerated and overblown. Why shouldn't the airlines list taxes and fees in their advertised prices?

In one respect, the new regulations have pulled back a bit on a new rule relating to baggage charges. You may recall that two days ago, I wrote about the prediction from an Associated Press reporter that the Department would force the airlines to return the baggage fee on luggage that was delayed for more than two hours. Although the new regulations continue to require such a refund on baggage that has been irreparably lost, it will not do so for mere delays. One victory for the airlines.

Ray LaHood needs our support. There will be a mighty battle waged against the new rules, possibly including legal action, and public sentiment will be important. You might send an e-mail of encouragement to officials at the Department of Transportation, whose activism in this area is heartening.