Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Tuesday a new partnership with more than a dozen state attorneys general to investigate consumer complaints against airlines.
The partnership sets up a process for state attorneys general to review traveler complaints and then pass the baton to the federal Transportation Department, which could take enforcement action against airlines.
“The support that state attorneys general are providing means our capacity to protect airline passengers will be expanded,” Buttigieg said at Denver International Airport, where he met with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, who is among those joining , the partnership occurred.
The federal-state initiative is Buttigieg’s latest move aimed at improving protections for air travelers and ensuring airlines are held accountable for mistakes. According to the agency, the Transportation Department has levied more than $164 million in penalties against airlines during his tenure. Mr. Buttigieg has also pushed airlines to accommodate children with their parents for free and to improve their services to travelers who suffer lengthy delays or cancellations.
The Department of Transportation said attorneys general from 15 states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin — had signed agreements to participate the partnership.
The attorneys general of the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands also joined, the department said, bringing the total number involved to 18. Of these, 16 are Democrats and two are Republicans.
Under federal law, states are generally prohibited from enforcing their own consumer protection laws against airlines. State attorneys general have pushed for federal legislation that would allow them to take action against airlines, as they have against companies in other industries.
The new partnership does not grant them this power. Instead, their offices would investigate travelers’ complaints, and if they find that federal consumer protection rules may have been violated, they could refer the matter to the Transportation Department as part of a fast-track process. The federal agency would then review the complaint and could take enforcement action.
“The ideal world would be one in which states are given formal authority to work with the Department of Transportation to enforce consumer protection laws,” Mr. Weiser said. “Congress has not taken any action on this yet, but we are not waiting for action.”
In a statement, Airlines for America, a trade group that represents the nation’s largest air carriers, said it regularly works with the Transportation Department and state attorneys general to improve the flying experience for travelers.
“We value the role of state attorneys general and their work on behalf of consumers,” the group said, adding that it looks forward to continuing to work with them.
Source link
2024-04-16 23:31:03
www.nytimes.com
