Advisory Committee on Aviation Consumer Protection:

Implementation of 

October 2012 

Recommendations

U.S. Department of Transportation
• Committee report: 10-22-2012

• Secretary’s report to Congress: 

 3-22-2013
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 Travelers With Disabilities

 Discrimination

 Consumer Air Travel Complaints

 Enhanced Information about Rights

 Understanding Contract Terms

 Pricing Transparency

 Ticket Agent Disclosures

 Ontime Performance Reporting for 

All Carriers
Travelers With Disabilities

Recommendation: Encourage airlines and airports 

to take any voluntary steps that they believe will 

result in a better travel experience for travelers 

with disabilities

Action: Secretary will send letter to associations 

for airports and for U.S. and foreign air carriers. 

Letter to carrier associations:

 obligation for nondiscriminatory service and 

access to air transportation [49 U.S.C 41705 and 

14 CFR Part 382]

 voluntary steps?
Travelers With Disabilities

Recommendation: Encourage airline and airport 

personnel to work with TSA to assist travelers who 

are unable to sit during lengthy layovers without 

their specially made wheelchairs 

Action: Secretary’s letter to carrier and airport 

associations will ask them to urge members to do 

this. 

Letter to carrier associations: current requirement 

for timely return of assistive devices consistent with 

security rules [382.125]
Travelers With Disabilities

Recommendation: Work with airlines and airports 

to make their kiosks and websites accessible.

Action: Rulemaking proceeding is underway. 

[SNPRM, RIN 2105-AD96]
Travelers With Disabilities

Recommendation: Require airports and airlines to 

ensure appropriate access to service animal relief 

areas at airports.

Action: Rulemaking proceeding is underway. 

[NPRM, RIN 2105-AD91]

Proposed: minimum of one relief area per 

terminal, in the sterile area. 
Discrimination Based on Race, 

Religion, National Origin, or 

Gender

Recommendation: Remind airlines of their 

obligation to avoid such discrimination and 

encourage them to stress this in initial and 

recurrent training.

Action: Secretary’s letter to carrier associations 

will:

 - refer to federal statutes that prohibit such 

discrimination (49 U.S.C. 40127 and 41310) 

 - stress the benefits of training.
Consumer Air Travel Complaints

Recommendation: DOT should provide 

complainants with contact information for the 

analyst handling the complaint, and indicate that 

this person can be contacted concerning the status 

of the complaint.

Action: Acknowledgment letters/emails have been 

revised.

- Case number automatically inserted

- Includes central email address, phone number. 

“One busines day” reply. 
Consumer Air Travel Complaints

Recommendation: DOT should outline the complaint 

handling process to complainants.

- Advise if it is a potential violation

- Advise that complaint will be sent to carrier, 30/60 

days to reply to consumer, contact DOT if you 

don’t receive a reply by then. 

Action: Acknowledgment letters/emails now state:

 - whether the subject of the complaint is covered by 

a DOT rule

 - complaint will be sent to carrier for response to 

consumer

 - 30/60-day legal deadlines
Enhanced Information About Air 

Travel Consumer Rights

Recommendation: DOT should place its guidance 

on consumer rights and related FAQs in a 

prominent location on its website.

Action: 

 - New FAQs on the Aviation Consumer office page

 - New links to that page from DOT home page and 

“Aviation” page
Understanding Terms Used in 

Contracts of Carriage and 

Customer Service Plans

Recommendation: DOT should:

 - survey how airlines define certain terms

 - place this information on DOT’s website

Action: 

 - The Secretary’s letter to carrier associations: 

industry working group.

 - Glossary will be posted on DOT website
Pricing Transparency

Recommendation: DOT should ensure 

transparency in air carrier pricing, including 

ancillary fees.

 

Action: 

 - Consumer Rule II requires airline websites to 

disclose fees for optional services

 - Consumer Rule III will address the issue of 

displaying ancillary fees through all sales channels 

(e.g., including GDSs)
Ticket Agent Disclosures

Recommendation: Require all ticket agents, 

including OTAs, to disclose, if this is the case, that:

 - they don’t sell tickets for all airlines

- additional airlines may serve the route being 

searched

 

Action: 

- Consumer Rule III will address the issue of 

whether ticket agents, including OTAs, should be 

required to disclose that they don’t sell tickets for 

all airlines if that is the case.
On-Time Performance Reporting 

for All Airlines

Recommendation: Require on-time performance 

data to be reported by all airlines, not simply those 

that account for 1% of domestic scheduled 

passenger revenue as is currently the case.

Action: 

- Consumer Rule III will address the issue of 

expanding the reporting-carrier pool to include 

smaller carriers.