It’s almost Thanksgiving, which means many of us will be traveling and 2017 has already made a name for itself when it comes to air travel – with passengers being pulled off planes, some getting in fights with flight attendants and all of it getting caught on camera.
The Department of Transportation today, in an effort to make for a safer and easier flying experience, released its new airline consumer guidelines.
The new guidelines pose a very important question – do you know your rights as an airline passenger?
“As a flyer, I expect when I buy a ticket for a seat, I should have a seat and I don’t expect to be dragged off of it,” said Emike Aliu, an airline passenger walking around Cleveland Hopkins Airport Wednesday.
Though Aliu makes a point, that’s not really how it works. Airlines a lot of times overbook flights and have the authority to kick you off if no other passengers volunteer to leave.
The DOT released their new aviation consumer protection guidelines in an effort to walk passengers through every aspect of the airline customer experience – everything from delays and cancelations, to losing a seat, refunds and lost baggage.
“I had a friend who lost a bag. When we went to reclaim it, they acted like he had stolen it and it was just an absolute mistake,” said airline passenger Bud Sonick.
All passengers asked at Cleveland Hopkins airport agreed the burden to inform flyers of their rights falls on the airlines.
“If you buy a ticket, somebody ought to send you some information ahead of time,” said Sonick.
