# Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights

This bill establishes a set of protections and rights for people flying on commercial airlines. It's designed to make air travel more fair and transparent by requiring airlines to follow specific rules about how they treat passengers and handle problems.

The bill requires airlines to clearly communicate their policies to passengers upfront, including information about baggage fees, seat selection charges, and what happens if your flight gets cancelled or delayed. Airlines would need to provide compensation to passengers in certain situations—for example, if you're involuntarily bumped from an overbooked flight or if your luggage is lost or damaged. The bill also addresses what happens during long delays on the tarmac, requiring airlines to provide food, water, and access to bathrooms after a certain amount of time.

Additionally, the legislation focuses on making it easier for passengers to get refunds. If an airline cancels your flight or makes significant changes to your itinerary, you'd have the right to a full refund rather than being forced to accept a credit or rebooking on a different flight. The bill also protects passengers with disabilities and families traveling with children by requiring airlines to accommodate their needs, such as allowing families to sit together without extra charges and ensuring accessible seating for people with disabilities.

Overall, this bill aims to shift the balance of power slightly toward passengers by giving them clearer rights, better information, and more recourse when things go wrong—rather than leaving them at the mercy of airline policies that can sometimes be confusing or unfavorable.

Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights

Blumenthal, Richard

Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights This bill expands protections for passengers in air transportation. Among other things, the bill requires the Department of Transportation to implement regulations relating to <ul> <li>protections for airline passengers from being required to involuntarily relinquish their seats, unless necessary for safety or security;</li> <li>the elimination of the dollar limitations on compensation to passengers denied boarding due to overbooking;</li> <li>compensation to passengers for delayed or cancelled flights;</li> <li>interline agreements between air carriers and other transportation providers; </li> <li>training on the rights of passengers;</li> <li>unreasonable air carrier fees; </li> <li>unrestricted access of consumers to information on schedules, fares, fees, and taxes;</li> <li>accuracy in pricing of tickets and disclosure of lowest fares; and</li> <li>notifications to passengers of their rights and eligibility for refunds.</li> </ul> The Federal Aviation Administration must (1) prohibit any air carrier from reducing seat size or leg room, and (2) report on the quality of food and potable water on passenger aircraft and the sufficiency of flight crews and aircraft. The bill provides a private right of action for passengers aggrieved by airline actions and increases civil penalties on air carriers for violations of passenger protections.