U.S. Passengers Bill of Rights : Help Get It Added Onto ‘Bill S:1300’ Before Sept 15th!

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8/09/2008 – U.S. Passengers Bill of Rights : Help Get It Added Onto ‘Bill S:1300’ Before Sept 15th!

On the 15th of September Bill S:1300, the FAA Reauthorization Bill, will go before the United States Senate.

There is still time to add a Passengers Bill of Rights to this Bill. While the Bill S:1300 may be delayed for nearly two years it is important to have the Passengers Bill of Right added on. As the airline industry changes and service levels have dropped significantly from airlines, a Bill of Rights must be in place to protect those people flying on commercial airlines.

If the Passengers Bill of Rights was to be added onto the Extention of Bill S:1300 it could potentially become law and immediately take effect for all airline passengers traveling in the United States.

The following are the proposed Passenger Bill of Right
* Establish procedures to respond to all passenger complaints within 24 hours and with appropriate resolution within 2 weeks.
* Notify passengers within ten minutes of a delay of known diversions, delays and cancellations via airport overhead announcement, on aircraft announcement, and posting on airport television monitors.
* Establish procedures for returning passengers to terminal gate when delays occur so that no plane sits on the tarmac for longer than three hours without connecting to a gate.
* Provide for the essential needs of passengers during air- or ground-based delays of longer than 3 hours, including food, water, sanitary facilities, and access to medical attention.
* Provide for the needs of disabled, elderly and special needs passengers by establishing procedures for assisting with the moving and retrieving of baggage, and the moving of passengers from one area of airport to another at all times by airline personnel.
* Publish and update monthly on the company’s public web site a list of chronically delayed flights, meaning those flight delayed thirty minutes or more, at least forty percent of the time, during a single month.
* Compensate “bumped” passengers or passengers delayed due to flight cancellations or postponements of over 12 hours by refund of 150% of ticket price
* The formal implementation of a Passenger Review Committee, made up of non-airline executives and employees but rather passengers and consumers – that would have the formal ability to review and investigate complaints.
* Make lowest fare information, schedules and itineraries, cancellation policies and frequent flyer program requirements available in an easily accessed location and updated in real-time.
* Ensure that baggage is handled without delay or injury; if baggage is lost or misplaced, the airline shall notify customer of baggage status within 12 hours and provide compensation equal to current market value of baggage and its contents.
* Require that these rights apply equally to all airlines code-share partners, including international partners.

WRITE YOUR SENATORS! MAKE YOURSELF HEARD!

To find your Senator and send them an instant e-mail letting them know you want to support the addition of the Passengers Bill of Rights to the Extention of S:1300 visit:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Enter this in the subject header: Please Support Adding The Passengers Bill of Rights To Extention of Bill S:1300, The FAA Modernization Bill

Time is running out, it goes before the Senate on the 15th of September……write your Senators now and help pass the Passengers Bill of Right!

Happy Flying!