Heinrich Urges Trump Administration to Make Air Travel More Affordable and Transparent, Not Less

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and 13 Senate Democrats to send a letter urging U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy to reconsider the DOT's decision to roll back consumer protections to compensate airline passengers in New Mexico and nationwide for flight delays and cancellations and provide consumers transparent information about the costs of plane ticket fees and excessive travel costs.

"Last year, Congress acted to protect the flying public from airline-caused disruptions and surprise costs. The law guaranteed the right to a hassle-free refund for passengers when flights are cancelled or significantly delayed regardless of cause. The law also required airlines to have policies in place to compensate passengers for significant flight disruptions within an airline's control, and be transparent about fees - such as baggage fees or change fees - that they charge consumers. The regulations recently targeted by the Department build upon the consumer protection framework established under the law," the senators wrote to Secretary Duffy.

The senators continue, "This is a common-sense proposal: when an airline's mistake imposes unanticipated costs on families, the airline should try to remedy the situation by providing accommodations to consumers and helping cover their costs. By cancelling this rulemaking, the Department is actively foregoing an easy solution to foster consumer confidence and address the problem of unaffordable travel for many families."

"We urge DOT to reconsider its decision to roll back these important cost-saving protections for the flying public and to implement the bipartisan FAA law requirements as Congress intended. American families deserve transparency in airline pricing and fair compensation for travel disruptions. These cost-saving consumer protections should be strengthened, not weakened," the senators concluded.

The letter is led by Markey, Cantwell, Blumenthal, and Gillibrand. Alongside Heinrich, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Jack Reed (D-R.I), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

The text of the letter is here.

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