Memorandum U.S . Deportment of Transportation Office of th e Sec re tor y of Tran s portation S ubj ect: No tic e of Co mmunication: **D~e :**  Sept24,2014 From : **~~4V~**B l ane Workie , Acting Ass ist an t General Cou n se l Office of Avia tion E nf o r ceme nt and Proceeding s To : C hi ef, Dockets Pl ease place thi s memorandum in th e app r op ri ate fi le and in th e Docket. Participants Attende es to A m e rican Bar Association Fo rum o n A ir a nd Spac e Law A le c Braml e tt (pa n e li s t) , American A irlin es Rob e rt Land (pa n e li st), JetBlue Airways C h a rl es Leoc h a ( p a n e li st), Co n s um er Trave l A ll ia n ce An it a Mosn e r ( moderator) , Holland & Knig ht , LLP Louise- H ele n e Se n eca l (p a n e li st ), A ir Ca n ada Blan e Workie (pane l ist) , DOT's Office of Av i ation En for ce m e nt a nd Pr oceed in gs Summa r y of Co n versa ti o n : O n Sep te mb er 1 8,20 14 , th e A m e rican Bar Assoc iati o n Fo rum on Air and Space L a w h e ld i ts a nnu al co nf ere n ce in Montr ea l. Thi s forum featured a se ri es of pan els to pr ov id e upd at es on a varie ty of t op i cs important to a irlin es, a irp orts a nd p asse ngers , includin g a pan el tit l ed "Is th e

Cus to m e r A lw ays Ri g ht ? A C l ose Look at T re nd s in Air lin e Co n s um er Protection ." During the panel discussion o n co n sumer right s, the m ode r ator aske d t wo qu es ti ons th at res ulted in o ne or more panelis ts m en ti o nin g t h e D epartme nt 's NPRM on " Transparenc y of Ai rline A n ci ll ary Fees a nd Other Cons um er Pr otect i on I ss u es " (Co n s u mer III NPRM). One qu es ti o n conce rn e d ho w th e D e p ar tm e nt addre sses the i ss u e of"mis t ake n fa r e." M s. Workie exp l aine d th at th e po st purcha se price provi s ion a nd a s ub se qu e nt gu idan ce do cume nt m ake it clear th at if a cons um er purcha se d a nd paid in full fo r an ai rlin e ticket th e n an air l ine can 't increase th e price of th at a ir tr ansportation to th e cons um e r eve n w h e n th e fare is a mi st ake . M s. Worki e ack now l edged th at in creasing ly mi st aken fares a re gett in g posted on frequent-fl ye r b l ogs a ndtr ave l d ea l s it es a nd ad d e d th at thi s m a tt e r i s und er co n s id e ra ti o n as p a rt of th e D e p a rtm e n t's Co n s um e r III N PRM .

A qu es ti o n w as al so as k e d r ega rdin g w heth er i t i s diffi c ult to d ay fo r co n s um ers to asce rt a in th e fees f or a n c ill ar y se r vi ces a nd w h e th e r ther e is a need fo r th e D e p a rtm e nt to int er ve n e in thi s area. Ms. Wo r kie state d th at s h e co uld n ot a n swe r th at qu es ti o n as it in vo l ves a n o pini o n o n a n

ope n r ul e m ak in g. M r. Br a ml e tt state d th a t h e is n ot so co n s tr a in ed a nd exp r esse d hi s vi ew th at

th e re is n o c omp e llin g r easo n f o r th e D e partm e nt to r eg ul ate in thi s a r ea as a n c ill ar y fees are a lr ea d y d i sc lo se d t o co n s um er s. M r. Br a ml e tt e mph as i ze d th at th e D e p a rtm e nt is l oo kin g a t a pro bl em th a t m ay h ave exis te d in th e p as t but n o lo n ger d oes. Mr. L eoc h a st ro n gly d isag r eed a nd state d th at co n s um e rs ca n't fig ur e o ut w h at fe es m ay app ly to th e ir ti c k e t b e c a u se the a irlin es m a ke it t oo di ffic ul t. H e s tate d th at if a co n s um e r i s fl y in g bet wee n Lo s A n gl es and New Y o rk th ere are thr ee airp o rt s in th e New Y a rk area a nd fi ve in th e L A a r ea. Th e r e a re 1 2 a irlin es th at th e co n su m er ca n ta k e, ro und-trip a nd o n e- way, a nd th ree cl asses of se rvi ce w hi c h add u p to

a b o ut 6,5 00 di ffe re nt opti o n s for th at fli g ht. Mr. Leoch a a dded if a p as se n ge r is c a rr y in g ba gs th e n th e p e rmu ta ti o n s p oss ibl e are astro nomi ca l as th er e a re va ri a ti o n s b ase d o n f re qu e nt fli er sta tu s, cre dit c ar d u sed, a n d so o n. H e co n c lu de d th at gi ve n th e s h ee r num be r o f fees a irlin es

c h ar ge, h e b e li eves that it is impo ss ibl e for a n yo n e to d o th e m a th to det e rmine w h at a irlin e h as th e bes t d ea l a nd th at th ere is a r ea l n ee d f o r a D OT rul e m a kin g.