CDC's yellow book

CDC medical resources.

Data Security & Travel

Data Security & the Worry Free Traveler.

Bed Bugs

Feast.

Pilot retirement age 65 now

As of July 15, 2009.

Denver Cross Winds Crash

Velocity more than doubled b/4 take-off.

Report

Aviation Consumer Report, July 2009.

United fined for violation of disclosure of code sharing arrangements

DOT 99-09
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-4570

DOT Fines United for Failure to Disclose Code-Sharing

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today assessed a civil penalty against United Airlines for failing to disclose to consumers when flights sold by the carrier were being operated under a code-sharing arrangement.

“When consumers buy an airline ticket, they have a right to know which airline will be operating their flight,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We will continue to ensure that carriers are complying with the code-sharing rules.”

United was ordered to cease and desist from further violations and assessed a civil penalty of $80,000.

Under code-sharing, a carrier will sell tickets on flights that use its designator code but are operated by a separate airline. DOT rules require airlines to disclose to consumers, before they book a flight, if the flight is operated under a code-sharing arrangement. The disclosure must include the corporate name of the transporting carrier and any other name under which the flight is offered to the public.

The Department’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings made a number of telephone calls to United’s reservations line this past January to determine if the carrier’s employees were advising consumers of code-sharing arrangements as required by the regulations. The Enforcement Office found that United’s reservations agents failed to disclose code-sharing during a substantial number of those calls.

The consent order is available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2009-0001.

Delta fined for denied boarding violations

DOT 98-09
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-4570

DOT Fines Delta for Violations of Denied Boarding Compensation Rules

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today assessed a civil penalty against Delta Air Lines for violating federal rules regarding passengers denied boarding (“bumped”) on oversold flights.

“Airlines often oversell flights in order to ensure that they fill all their seats, and the bumping rules are designed to protect consumers when this happens,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We take these rules seriously and will take enforcement action when necessary.”

Delta was ordered to cease and desist from further violations and assessed a civil penalty of $375,000. Up to $200,000 of the penalty may be used by the carrier to implement systems not required by the rules that will benefit consumers.

When a flight is oversold, DOT regulations require airlines to seek volunteers willing to give up their seats for compensation. If not enough volunteers can be found and the carrier must bump passengers involuntarily, the carrier is required to give bumped passengers a written statement describing their rights and explaining how it decides who will be bumped from an oversold flight. In most cases, passengers bumped involuntarily also are entitled to cash compensation of up to $800.

The Department’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, as part of an on-site investigation at the carrier’s headquarters, reviewed records of Delta’s passenger complaint records from January to July 2008. The office also reviewed similar consumer complaints against Delta received by DOT last year. Both revealed a number of instances in which the carrier bumped passengers but did not follow one or more of the provisions of the oversales rules.

The consent order is available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2009-0001. A summary of the oversales rules is available at http://airconsumer.dot.gov/publications/flyrights.htm#overbooking.

Aviation consumer

Rules Collections.

Aviation Consumer Protection Division 202-366-2220.

LawProfessor Blog

Aviation Emissions Trading.

Verified Identity Pass Class Action

Courthousenews covers the story.

Copy of Complaint via Courthousenews.

see Lee Squitieri of New York-based Squitieri & Fearon LLP to join.
(212) 421-6492

Spread of H1N1

via global airline travel, New England Journal of Medicine.