### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC 20590

TIle Honorable Robert Menendez United States Senate Washington. DC 20510 Dear Senator Menendez: October 29. 20I0

Thank you for your letter. cosigned by yourcongressional colleagues, expressing your views on the U.S. Department ofTransportation's June 8, 2010, notice ofproposed rulcmaking covering consumer protection issues in air travel. You commented on issues including the disclosure of baggage mld other fees in conjunction with airline tickets. and aircarriers sharing ancillary fee information with travel agents via global distribution systems. As you may know, the Department's notice ofproposed rulcmaking docket was open lorpublic comment until September 23.20I

### O. We received approximately 2,000 comments on our proposals, and we are working as quickly as possible to issue a final rule. I appreciate your interest in the proposals, and I assure you that we will give carellil consideration to all comments. including yours, in making our final decisions. A similarresponse has been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter. In accordance with Department rules on pending proceedings, a copy ofyour Icttcr und this response will be placed in our· rulemaking docket. For your reference, the dockct number is DOT-OST-2010-0140. IfI can provide additional ini<mnation orassista , please fcel free to call me.

### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION NASHINGTOI'J DC 20590

October 29.2010

The Honorable George S. LeMieux United States Senate Washington. DC 20510 Dear Senator LeMieux: Thank you for your letter, cosigned by your congressional colleagues, expressing your views on the U.S. Department ofTransportation's June 8. 2010, notice ofproposed rulemaking covering consumer protection issues in air traveL You commented on issues including the disclosure of baggage and other fees in conjunction with airline tickets, and air carriers sharing ancillary fcc information with travel agents via global distribution systems. As you may know, lhe Department's notice orproposed rulemaking docket was open for public comment until September 23,20IO. We recciwd approximately 2.000 comments onour proposals, and we arc working as quickly as possible to issue a tinal rule. I appreciate your interest in the proposals. and I assure you that we 

### will give carclul consideration to all comments, including yours, in making our final decisions. A similar response has been sent 10 each cosigner ofyour letter. In accordance with Department rules on pending proceedings, a copy ofyour letterund this response will be placed in our ntlcmaking docket. roryour reference. the docket number is DOT-OST-2010-0140. If1can provide additional**inform~** tion orassistance, please 

### led free to call me.

### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

The Honorable Charles Schumer United States Senate Washington. DC 20510 Dear Senator Schumer:**~'/A5HI"iGTGr'J** DC 20590

October 29. 20I0

Thank you for your leller, cosigned by yourcongressional colleagues, expressing your views on the U.S. Department ofTransportation's June 8, 20I

### O. notice ofproposed rulemaking covering consumerprotection issues in airtravel. You commented on issues including the disclosure of haggage and other fees in conjunction \vith airline tickets, and aircarriers sharing ancillary fee information with travel agents via global distribution systems. As you may know, the Department's notice ofproposed ntlemaking docket was open lorpublic comment until September 23.2010. We received approximately 2.000 comments on our proposals. and we are working as quickly as possible to isslle a tinal rule. I appreciate your interest in the proposals. and' assure you that we will give careful consideration to all comments, including yours, in making our final decisions. A similar response has been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter. In accordance with Department ntles on pending proceedings. a copyofyour letter and this response 

### will be placed in otlr ntlcmuking docket. For your reference, the docket number is DOT-OST -20I0-0140. If[ can provide additional information orassistanc' please fecI free to call me.

### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

The Honorable Mary Landricu United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Landrieu:**\'/;',SH;~JGTOf'1** DC 20590

October 29.2010

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by yourcongressional colleagues, expressing your views on the U.S. Department ofTransportation'sJune 8, 2010, notice ofproposed rulemaking covering consumer protection issues in air travel. You commented on issues including the disclosure of baggage and other fees in conjunction with airline tickets. and air carriers sharing ancillary fce information with travel agents via global distribution systems. As you may know, the Department's notice ofproposed rulemaking docket was open for public comment until September 23,2010. We received approximately 2.000 comments on our proposals, and we are \vorking as quickly as possible to issue a final rule. I appreciate your interest in the proposals, and I assure you that we 

### will give careful consideration to all comments, including yours, in making our final decisions. A similar response has been sent to eachcosignerofyour letter. In accordance with Department ntles on pending proceedings. a copy ofyour letter and this response will be placed in our nt1cmaking docket. For your reference. the docket number is DOT-OST -2010-0

### t40. IfI can provide additional 

### inform, tion or assistance. lease feel free to call me.The Honorable Ron Wyden United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Wydcn: 

### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC 20590

October 29, 20I0

Thank you for your letter, COSigllCd by yourcongressional colleagues. expressing your views on the U.S. Department ofTmnsportation'sJune 8, 2010, notice ofproposed rulemaking covering consumer protection issues in air travel. You commented on issues including the disclosure of baggage and other fees in conjunction with airline tickets, and aircarriers sharing ancillary fee information with travel agents via global distribution systems. As you may know, the Department's notice ofproposed rulemaking docket was open lorpublic comment until September 23.2010. We received approximately 2,000 comments on ollr proposals, and we are working as quickly as possible to issue a final rule. 

### f appreciate your interest in the proposals, and I assure you that we will give careful consideration to all comments. including vours. in making ollr final decisions. 

# -. 

# - A similarresponse has been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter. Tn accordance with Department rules on pending proceedings, a copy ofyour letter and this response will be placed in our ruJemaking docket. For your reference, the docket number is DOT-OST-2010-0140. 

### £1'I can provide additional infor

### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION V/ASHII'JGTON DC 20590

The Honorable Benjamin Cardin United States Senate Washington. DC 20510 Dear SenatorCardin: Octooer 29. :2010

Thank you for your letter, cosigned by your congressional colleagues, expressing your views on the U.S. Department ofTransportation's June 

### It 2010, notice ofproposed rulcmaking covering consumer protection issues in air travel. You commented on issues including the disclosure of baggage and other fees in conjunction with airline tickets, and air carriers sharing ancillary tee information with travel agents via global distribution systems. As you may know, the Department's notice ofproposed rulemuking docket was open lor public comment unlil September 23,2010. We received approximately 2,000 comments on our proposals, and we are working as quickly as possible 10 issue a tinal mle. I appreciate your interest in the proposals. and Iassure you that we will give careful consideration to all comments, includingyours, in making our tina) decisions. A similarresponse has been sent to each cosignerofyour letter. In accordance with Department rules on pending proceedings, a copy ofyour letter and this response 

### will be placed in our rulemaking docket. For your reference, the docket number is DOT-OST-2010-0140. IfI can provide additional informatio

### THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION ::ASH'i'JGTON DC 20590

The Honorable Mark Begich United States Senate Washington. DC 205]0 Dear Senator Begich: October 29, 20I()

"Illank you for your ktter. cosigned 

### by your congressional colleagues, expressing your views on the U.S. Department ofTransportation'S June 8, 20I

### O. notice orproposed rulemaking covering consumer protection isslles in air travel. You commented on issues including the disclosure of baggage and other lees in conjunction with airline tickets. and air carriers sharing ancillary fce information with tmvel agents via global distribution systems. As you may know. the Department's notice ofproposed rulemaking docket was open for public comment until September 23, 20I

### O. We received approximately 2,000 comments on our proposals, and we are working as 

### quickly as possible to issue a linal rule. Iappreciate your interest in the proposals, and I assure you that we will give careful consideration to all comments, including yours, in making our final decisions. A similarresponse has been sent to each cosigner ofyour letter. (n accordance with Department rules on pending proceedings. a copy ofyour letter and this response will be placed in our rulcmaking docket. For your reierence. the docket number is OOT-OST-201O-0140. IfIcan provide additional informati or assistance. pic; .• feel free to call me.

# tinitnt**~tntt.s ~rnQtt** 

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary**U.S.DepruUnentofT~portation** 

### 1200NewJersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590 Dear

### Mr. Secretary: WASHINGTON, DC 20510



### September 23, 2010

Re: DOT-OST-20IO-0140 Enhancing Airline PassengerProtections We are writing to 

### you in connection with 

### the JWle 8, 2010, Notice ofProposed Rulemaking (NPRM) concerning Airline PassengerProtections. We applaud the Departmentfor efforts underyour leadershipto protect consumers and are urging you to continue that leadership by requiring increaseddisclosure ofancillary fees on airline

### tickets as well as facilitating that discloSure by requiring the sharingoffee information by air carriers to travel agents and online travel companies. These proposals are contained in the NPRM's section 8on "Baggage and Other

## Fees and 

### Related Code-Share Issues." We believe consumers are entitled to full and honestdisclosure ofall fees and charges associated with 

### airtravel before they purchase aticket, whetherdirectly from an airline or from a thirdparty intermediary. That is why we supported SenatorMenendez'srecent amendment to require full airline disclosure ofthat

### information. As a result ofour efforts, Section 407 ofH.R.1586, whichpassedthe Senate unanimously onMarch 22, includes a requirement that the Department establishrules thatwill allow passengers to

### compare airline fares and 

### fees, and a provision statingthat 

### it is 

### anWlfair and deceptive practice for airlines and ticket agents notto provide conspicuous information on fees for ancillary services. Greaterdisclosure offees will give consumers the informat\on they need to make betterand more informed airtravel purchases. Thatis why we support the Department's proposal "requiring sellers ofairtransportation to display on theirwebsites information regarding a full price including optional fees selectedby the passengerwhen aprospective passenger conducts a query for aparticularitinerary." This would allow passengers to conduct queries for their specific needs-forexample, air fare and I checked bag, or air fare and 2 checked bags and extra legroom-andthen compare the full costoftheirproposed trip across air 

### carriers. We also strongly support the Department's view that the 

### list ofancillary services subjectto required airline disclosures should be 

### broad and inclusive. In proposed section 14 CFR 399.85(c), the Department is proposing to require full disclosure ofoptional services, which "include but are not limited to the cost ofa carry-on bag, checking baggage, advance seatassignments, in-flight food and beverage service, in-flight entertainment, blankets, pillows, or othercomfortitems, and fees for seat upgrades." We support this broad approach to disclosure, rather than the more limited approach that requires disclosure ofonly "significant"fees. In orderfor this level ofdisclosure ofancillary fees to occur, it is essential that traditional travel agencies and online travel companies--whichtogether account for the sales ofmore than halfof all airline ticketspurchased in the United States-haveeasy access to fee information. That means requiring timely and full disclosure by airlines ofancillary fees to travel agencies viathe global distribution systems (ODSs) that agencies almost universally use as their source offare information. Indeed, the recognition ofthe critical role that travel agencies play in air lineticket sales has spurred us to support an adjustment to the Menendez amendment to require airlines to share fee information with the ODSs in which they participate so that travel agencies will have timely access to fee information that can subsequently be shared with the public. The Department states that it "isalso consideringrequiring thatcarriers make all the information that must be made directly available to consumers via proposed section 399.85 available to global distributions systems (ODS) in which they participate in an up-to-date fashion and useful format" We could not agree more with the adoption ofthe described disclosure requirement, and thus urge the Department to incorporate such a requirement into its final rule. Providing the information to the public should not be burdensome to the carriers. We understand that all the necessary technical standards and protocols for transferring full information on ancillary services and fees have beenjointlydeveloped by the carriers and ODSs through standard industryprocesses, and are being readied for implementation. Moreover, the cost to the airlines ofsustaining these transfers relative to the revenue streams they have createdthrough unbundling services, apparently is nominal. We believethe full disclosure ofancillary fees and services to the ODSs will make it easier for consumers to shop for and purchase these services from their travel agents. Thank you for considering ourviews. We look forward to the final rule thatwill bepublished by the Department. and to working with you to ensure thatconsumers will be fully and fairly given access to the information they needto make better informed airtravel decisions. Sincerely.

United States Senator

# ()....L<&1~ CHARLES SCHUMER United States Senator 

### •

# ~ United States Senator

# #!'~~ MARKBEGICH· United States Senator

# ~tl4Jl; BENJAMIN CARDIN United States Senator