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AG fights to protect airline customers
Attorney General Edward Manibusan joined a multi-state coalition in asking U.S. Congress to allow attorneys general to enforce state and federal consumer protections for airline travelers. This request comes after attorneys general received thousands of complaints from outraged passengers, claiming airlines have failed in their service responsibilities, causing significant frustrations and unnecessary challenges.
“Flying is essential for our community to go about their personal and professional lives and the mistreatment of airline consumers requires immediate action from our federal lawmakers. Consumers should have confidence that they will be treated fairly, respectfully, and consistently, under the law, regarding their interactions with the airline industry,” said Manibusan.
Federal law currently places the central responsibility for addressing violations of airline consumer protection with the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), but the agency has not kept up with the escalating issues. State attorneys general have little to no authority in holding airline companies accountable for unacceptable behavior towards consumers.
Manibusan and the coalition urge Congress to pass legislation that would authorize state attorneys general to enforce both state and federal consumer protection laws governing the airline industry. Their letter encourages Congress to consider shifting the authority for federal investigations of airline patron complaints from the U.S. DOT to an agency more primarily focused on consumer protection, such as the U.S. Department of Justice or the Federal Trade Commission.
Joining Manibusan are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. (PR)
