Airline Passenger Protection Program Announced

Federal, state regulators unite to protect air travelers

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it is joining with Attorneys General in 18 states to enact new consumer protections for air travelers.

The "Airline Passenger Protection Partnership" will streamline the process for resolving complaints about airlines and will expedite investigations of conduct by airlines that harms consumers.

In a statement announcing the new initiative, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said:

“We take our mission to protect consumers seriously, and today's launch of the Airline Passenger Protection Partnership is an important milestone in that effort. By partnering with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general, the U.S. Department of Transportation has expanded our ability to hold airlines and ticket agents accountable and protect passengers from unfair or deceptive practices.”

The partnership significantly expands the Department’s oversight capacity by establishing a new fast-track system prioritizing misconduct cases from state attorneys general who uncover unfair or deceptive airline practices. Through the partnership, DOT will provide state attorneys general with access to the federal complaint database and help ensure that airlines cooperate with state investigations.

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