New partnership with 18 state attorneys general creates fast-track system to prioritize misconduct cases referred to DOT by state attorneys general
Secretary Buttigieg made the announcement at the Denver International Airport alongside Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser
DENVER – Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the launch of the bipartisan Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with 18 state attorneys general to investigate airlines and ticket agents and hold them accountable when they violate aviation consumer protection laws. 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.
“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,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “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.”
“Consumers deserve to be treated fairly, know what they’re getting, and get everything they pay for when they fly,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “This agreement and partnership with the DOT will allow my office to directly serve Colorado consumers when they file complaints about unfair or deceptive airline business practices and creates a process to ensure DOT prioritizes complaints we refer. I want to thank Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his staff for listening to our requests for more coordination between the states and the federal government on this issue. By working together, we will be improving travel for passengers and holding accountable airlines or ticket agents who harm consumers.”
The partnership – memorialized in signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) – will ensure that state attorneys general and the DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) are closely collaborating on complaints involving unfair or deceptive practices by airlines. Federal law places responsibility for addressing airline consumer protection matters with DOT. While state attorneys general receive consumer complaints regarding airline practices, airlines are not legally required to respond to state AG inquiries. The MOU incentivizes airlines to be responsive to state attorneys general and enables the use of federal and state resources and expertise to protect the rights of the flying public.
Through this partnership, DOT and state attorneys general will work together to:
- Investigate airline complaints for unfair or deceptive practices: Under the MOU, state attorneys general will investigate the airline complaints they receive to make preliminary determinations as to whether airlines are potentially violating federal aviation consumer protection requirements.
- Ensure airlines cooperate with state investigations: The MOU creates a formal mechanism for state attorneys general to report airlines to DOT for failure to respond to requests for information as part of a state investigation into a complaint.
- Create a fast-track action system to prioritize misconduct case referrals: When a state attorney general makes a preliminary determination that an airline has violated the law, the MOU establishes a fast-track process for referring the matter to the DOT for priority review and, in appropriate instances, enforcement action.