THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590



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Mr. Roger Cohen President Regional Airline Association 2025 M Street, NW., Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036
Dear Mr. Cohen: June 19, 2013 

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InMay 20I2, Iestablished an Advisory Committee onAviation Consumer Protection to advise me onairline customer service improvements. The Committee, which includes one representative each ofairlines, airports, consumers, and State governments, submitted recommendations to me on awide range ofaviation consumer issues. Ihave enclosed acopy of myreport to Congress that includes those recommendations and ourplans to implement them.
Iam seeking your assistance inimplementing the recommendations related to travelers with disabilities; discrimination by air carriers on the basis ofrace, religion, national origin orgender; and greater clarity ofcontract terms incarrier contracts ofcarriage and customer service plans. I amcommitted to improving access to our air transportation system, and ensuring that all passengers receive the respect they deserve before, after and during their flight.
With respect totravelers with disabilities, the Committee recommended that Iencourage airlines and airports totake any voluntary steps that they believe will result inabetter travel experience fortravelers with disabilities, including working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ensure that there are no security requirements preventing the timely return of passengers' wheelchairs so passengers may use their own specially made wheelchairs during lengthy layovers. Accordingly, Iask you to remind your member carriers oftheir obligation under the Air Carrier Access Act and thc Department's implementing regulation to provide nondiscriminatory scrvice and access to air transportation to individuals with disabilities. Ialso ask that you urge your mcmber carriers to work with airports and TSA toensure that passengers who are dependent on their specially made wheelchairs that arebeing carried inthe cargo compartment can use them during lengthy airport layovers. The Department's disability regulation requires airlines to provide forthe checking and timely return ofpassengers' wheelchairs so that passengers may use their own equipment tothe extent possible, except where this practice would be inconsistent with Federal regulations governing transportation security. In addition, ifthere are any voluntary steps thatyour member carriers can take thaIthey believe will remove additional barriers encountered bypassengers with disabilities when they travel, Iask that you strongly encourage them to do so.2

The Committee also recommended that Iremind airlines oftheir obligation to avoid discrimination onthe basis ofrace, religion, national origin, or gender and encourage carriers to stress this obligation intheir initial and recuo'ing personnel training. Therefore, Iask you to remind your member carriers ofthe various Federal statutes that prohibit unlawful discrimination against air travelers because oftheir race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, or sex (49 U.S.C. 

## SS40127 and 41310).
Itwould be helpful ifyou also emphasize toyour member carriers the benefits ofproviding initial and recurrent civil rights training to carrier employees and contractors, particularly pilots, flight attendants and other airline customer contact personnel who may have arole in safety or security determinations affccting the air transportation system. Inaddition to covering Federal anti-discrimination statutes and guidance intheir training materials, airlines may also wish to consider including information pertaining to cultural awareness and sensitivity issues.
The Committee also suggested that the Department work with the airlines to survey how the airlines define certain terms frequently used inairlines' contracts ofcarriage and customer service plans. Ihave asked the Department's Office ofAviation Enforcement and Proceedings to establish an industry working group toidentify, define, and explain the terms commonly used incontracts ofcarriage and customer service plans. Samuel Podberesky, the Assistant General Counsel, will becontacting you shortly to ask forarecommendation on working group members.
Thank you forworking with us inour efforts toimplement the Committee's recommendations. Iamconfident your members' efforts will help improve consumer protection inour air transportation system.

Enclosure

### Report on

Recommendations ofthe Advisory Committee onAviation Consumer Protection AsRequired by Public Law 112.95,Section 411

Overview
Section 411 ofthe FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012 (Pub. L. 112-95, 126 Stat. II (2012» mandates the establishment ofan advisory committee for the purpose ofadvising the Secretary ofTransportation on airline customer service improvements. By statute, this Committee must consist offour members-one representative each ofairlines, airports, non-profit public interest groups, and State and local governments. Itis charged with providing recommendations tothe Secretary for improving existing aviation consumer protection programs and forestablishing new ones, ifneeded. The Act also requires the Secretary to submit two reports to Congress onthe Committee's recommendations-the first report is due no later than February 1,2013, and the second report is due no later than February 1,2014.
As required by the Act, on May 24, 2012, Secretary Ray LaHood announced the creation ofan Advisory Committee on Aviation Consumer Protection to advise him incarrying out activities related to airline customer service improvements. He selected as members ofthe Committee four individuals who have demonstrated experience indealing with consumer protection matters. They are: (I) Lisa Madigan, Attorney General of Illinois, who was also chosen to be the Committee chairperson; (2) David Berg, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Airlines for America; (3) Deborah Ale-Flint, Oakland International Airport's Director ofAviation; and (4) Charles Leocha, founder and Director ofthe Consumer Travel Alliance. The Secretary tasked the Committee members with providing him their first set ofrecommendations no later than October IS, 2012, and their second set of recommendations no later than October IS, 2013.
On October 22,2012, the Committee submitted itsfirst set ofrecommendations to the Secretary on awide range ofaviation consumer issues including service to passengers with disabilities, discrimination based on race and religion, consumer complaints, ancillary fees, and disclosures by online travel agencies and other agents asto which carriers' services they sell. Prior to arriving atthese recommendations, the Committee held three public meetings and heard from members ofthe public and organizations representing airlines, travel agents, airport operators, state and local governments, and consumer and other public interest groups. Records relating to the advisory committee, including atranscript and minutes ofits meetings and its full recommendation report are contained inthe Department's docket. See Docket No. DOT-OST2012-0087.I'~I:;C

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This isthe Department's first report to Congress on the recommendations ofthe Advisory Committee on Aviation Consumer Protection. This report summarizes the recommendations of the Committee, describes the Department's efforts and plans to implement these recommendations, and provides the reasons for not implementing certain recommendations immediately and intheir entirety.
Recommendations ofthe Committee
The principal recommendations made bythe Committee related to (I) travelers with disabilities; (2) discrimination by air carriers onthe basis ofrace, religion, national origin, or gender; (3) the handling ofair travel complaints bythe Department; (4) additional dissemination by the Department ofinformation on consumer rights; (5) greater clarity in contract terms incarrier contracts ofcarriage and customer service plans; (6) transparency in airline pricing; (7) disclosures by travel agents; and (8) additional reporting ofon-time performance by air carriers. Each recommendation and the steps the Department istaking inresponse, is addressed below.


### 1. Travelers

witl,Disabilities

Recommendation: DOT should: (I) encourage airlines and airports to take any voluntary steps that they believe will result in abetter travel experience fortravelers with disabilities; (2) encourage airline and airport personnel to work with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop aplan to assist travelers who are unable to sitduring lengthy layovers without their specially made wheelchairs; (3) work with airlines and airports to make their kiosks and Web sites accessible to travelers with disabilities; and (4) require airports and airlines to ensure appropriate access to service animal relief areas inairports where practicable. Response: We concur with the recommendation to encourage airlines and airports to make the travel experience better for travelers with disabilities and the recommendation to encourage them to work with TSA to ensure timely return ofpassengers' wheelchairs to enable passengers to use their own wheelchairs during lengthy layovers. To implement these recommendations, within 30 days ofthe date ofthis report, the Secretary will send aletter to U.S. and foreign air carrier associations asking the associations toremind their member carriers oftheir obligations under the Department's rule concerning air travelers with disabilities toprovide individuals with

. disabilities nondiscriminatory service and access to airtransportation. The Secretary will also reference the existing requirement forcarriers to provide forthe checking and timely return of passengers' wheelchairs sothat passengers may use their own equipment to the extent possible except where this practice would be inconsistent with Federal regulations governing transportation security, and he wilLurge airlines to work with airports and TSA to ensure that passengers who are dependent on their specially-made wheelchairs can use them during lengthy airport layovers.
We also concur with the recommendation to work with airlines and airports to make their kiosks and Web sites accessible and ensure appropriate access to service animal relief areas, and asthe. Committee noted, rulemakings on these issues are already underway (RIN 2105-AD96, and RIN 2I05-AD91). The Department published a supplemental notice ofproposed rulernaking (NPRM)Page 

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that proposed to require airport and airline automated kiosks and airline Web sites to be accessible to passengers with disabilities such as passengers who are blind or have low vision. The Department also published an NPRM that solicited public comments on whether the Department should require airports to locate aminimum ofone service animal relief area per terminal inside the "sterile area" between the TSA security checkpoint and the gate area. The Department is working to finalize these rules as soon aspossible.


### 2. Discrimination BasedonRace, Religion, National OriginorGender
Recommendation: DOT should remind the airlines oftheir obligation to avoid discrimination on the basis ofrace, religion, national origin, or gender and should encourage carriers to stress this obligation intheir initial and recurring personnel training. " Proposed Response: We concur. The letter that will be sent to carrier associations as described inthe Travelers with Disabilities response above will also ask that they remind carriers ofthe various Federal statutes that prohibit unlawful discrimination against air travelers because of their race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, or sex (49 U.S.C. ~~40127 and 41310) and stress the benefits oftraining personnel to ensure that all persons are provided equal protection of the laws and no person is subjected tounlawful discrimination when traveling.


### 3. ConsumerAir TravelComplaints
Recommendation: DOT should improve its informal air travel consumer complaint resolution process by providing more information to consumers about their complaint. Inorder to help consumers better understand the status and resolution oftheir complaint, the Committee recommends the following specific steps.
I. DOT should provide contact information forthe analyst handling the complaint and indicate that the analyst isthe person the consumer can contact with questions about the status ofthe complaint.
2. DOT should outline the complaint process to consumers and address other material facts (e.g., whether complaint involves aregulated area, whether investigation will be conducted, whether complaint has been forwarded to airline). Response: We generally concur inthese recommendations. No later than 30 days after the date ofthis report, the Department will begin torevise itscomplaint handling process. Itwill amend its standard letters acknowledging receipt ofairline service complaints, which are usually sent to consumers the same day acomplaint is entered into its tracking system, so they explain that an analyst will be assigned to work onthe case shortly and provide the office's consumer contact telephone number to reach the analyst. Assurances will also be provided in the letters that telephone calls will be returned bythe analyst within one business day. The acknowledgement letters will also be revised to better outline the complaint process tor consumers. The acknowledgement letters will not include the specific contact information for the analyst handling the complaint as doing this would result inadelay in sending such letters to complainants and would not be beneficial to consumers. The changes that we are making tothePag" 

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acknowledgement letters provide the new information recommended by the Committee and would still enable consumers to easily and quickly reach the analyst handling their complaint.


### 4. Enhanced Information aboutAir TraveiConsumerRights
Recommendation: DOT should place its guidance on consumer rights and related FAQs on its website in aprominent place so that consumers can better understand their rights and responsibilities as air travelers. Response: We concur inthis recommendation. There will be greater prominence given to guidance on consumer rights on the Department's Web site and the Web site ofits Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, which isthe office that monitors compliance with and investigates violations ofthe Department's aviation economic, consumer protection, and civil rights requirements. We expect to complete these tasks within 30 days after the date ofthis report. 

### 5. Understanding Terms Usedin ContractsofCarriageand Customer Service Plans
Recommendation: DOT should work with the airlines to survey how the airlines define certain terms frequently used intheir contracts ofcarriage and customer service plans. The Department should place this information on its Web site to assist consumers with understanding the terms and conditions oftheir travel. Response: We concur inthis recommendation. Inthe Secretary's letter to U.S. and foreign carrier associations referenced above, we will askthe associations to work with the Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings to identify andthen define/explain terms commonly used incontracts ofcarriage and customer service plans. A statement ofthese definitions will then be made available to members ofthe public via the DOT Web site, and we will encourage carriers to post this information on their sites as well. Although the date ofcompletion ofthe work on this recommendation is dependent on airline association cooperation, we believe the task can be completed within 6months after the date ofthis report.


### 6. Transparency inPricing
Recommendation: DOT should ensure transparency in aircarrier pricing. The Committee adopts Recommendation 11 ofthe Final Report ofthe Future ofAviation Advisory Committee, which urged greater transparency inthe disclosure ofancillary fees. Response: We have initiated arulemaking package (Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections III, RIN 21OS-AEll) which may include aprovision seeking comment on whether the Department should require that ancillary fees bedisplayed through all sale channels. The current status ofthis rulemaking can be found atwww.reginfo.gov. We note that implementation ofthis recommendation is subject to rulemaking procedures that preclude us from prejudging the outcome ofthe rulemaking process.

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7. Ticket

AgentDisclosures
Recommendation: DOT should require allticket agents, including online ticket agents, to disclose the fact that they do not offer for sale all airlines' tickets, ifthat isthe case, and that additional airlines may serve the route being searched. All ticket agents, including online ticket agents, should make this disclosure clearly and conspicuously, so that consumers know they may need to search elsewhere ifthey want to find out all available travel options. Response: We have initiated arulemaking package (Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections III, RIN 2105-AE II) which may include aprovision seeking comment on whether the Department should require all ticket agents, including online ticket agents, to disclose the fact that they do not offer for sale all airlines' tickets. The current status ofthis rulemaking can be found atwww.reginfo.gov. We note that implementation ofthis recommendation" is subject to rulemaking procedures that preclude us from prejudging the outcome ofthe rulemaking process. 

### 8. On-TimePerformanceReporting forAllAirlines Recommendation: DOT should mandate that data bereported to the agency's Bureau of Transportation Statistics for all flights and airlines, as opposed to only those that account for I percent of domestic scheduled passenger revenue. Response: We have initiated arulemaking package (Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections III, RIN 2105-AEll) which may include aprovision seeking comment on whether the Department expand the on time performance "reporting carrier" pool to include smaller carriers. The current status ofthis rulemaking can be found atwww.reginfo.gov. We note that implementation ofthis recommendation is subject torulemaking procedures that preclude us from prejudging the outcome ofthe rulemaking process.