cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/04/16/ai … index.html
From the above beginning in May
Up to $800 compensation for involuntary bumps,
Now can get compensated if you are on a smaller RJ (30 seats or more)
Bad weather escape route into Canada
New westbound airway
Better traffic management flow for LGA with “slot management”
Allen
The airlines will not like the 800 dollar fee considering they looking for every penny to get from the passenger. The air traffic changes will be nice.
I’m sure it’s set up in the fine print so they will never actually have to pay out $800 to anyone. This kind of legislation is all window dressing.
Yeah, I was thinking that too. I am sure there will be ways to get around the fee. I actaully have never heard of this fee up to this point.
Airlines almost never involuntarily bump anyone. They’re almost always able to find enough volunteers.
Unless getting to the destination on time is very important, I always volunteer to be bumped. Actually, it serves two purposes. One, I let them know they have a volunteer to be bumped and, two, I get an idea of how many people are on the flight.
My boss, who is in Atlanta, tries to catch a connecting flight from there to OAK in order to get on a regional jet in LAX or SLC because he likes to volunteer to get bumped (smaller aircraft, better odds of bumping)
Your boss must not value his/her own time.
I’ve volunteered a couple times on Horizon when I could catch another flight shortly there after. In the end they’ve never needed me. One time on the last flight of the night they were going to give me the free round trip plus a hotel and dinner. Just for volunteering they give out a voucher for free miles. 1,000 or 1,500 I can’t remember.
He’d like to be able to get the travel vouchers. It’s basically an all-day trip going eastbound (he hates the red-eyes). Going westbound, it’s still at least half a day so he figures he might as will try to get bumped. Additionally, he’s flown first class often by getting bumped from a connecting service to a non-stop service.
Wazzu90: Your boss must not value his/her own time.
Depending on the airline getting bumped can be pretty lucrative. I’ve heard that NW and FL both give quite a bit away. DL and AA/AE both have limits, but DL has vouchers their agents give away like candy.
So not its not that he doesn’t value his time, but does infact know the system enough to know the benefits.
What ever happened to the original “PAX Bill of Rights” that came about right after NW didn’t have gates and kept people on board for like 14 hours back in the late 90’s. I remember getting a copy of it and we had to read it and make sure we were adhering to it. It just kinda faded away into oblivion.
They tried to revive that last year after the Jetblue business on LGA’s ramp sitting for over 5 hours or so.
Congress LEPT into action! So we should hear back on it in a couple years. 
Congress LEPT into action! So we should hear back on it in a couple years.
I always thought Oberstar was an advocate for passenger rights. But I guess, who isn’t?
Regarding the PAX Bill of Rights, around the end of March, the US Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, ruled that New York state overstepped its authority with its bill of rights law. Unless it goes to the Supreme Court, the thing is dead.
The argument is, and has been since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 became law, only the federal goverment [DOT] has the authority to enact anything like a passenger bill of rights. Thus, nothing of consequence will be done in this area for many years. DOT has a task force looking into the matter; Congress is working on legislation; the airlines and the Air Transport Association say they are trying to come with something. Sure!
The only groups who really want to do something have been the state attorneys general. But, they get shot down by everyone. The airlines don’t really want each state to come with a separate version of anything. Congress doesn’t want to lose the clout they have to beat up on DOT and get votes for kicking the airlines, all the while getting their travel benefits from the same companies, and DOT cannot, and really doesn’t want to do anything as long as everyone in Congress will pick to pieces anything they might think is OK. End result: travelers/passengers be damned!
I’ve always thought the airlines should be treated like any other industry with no, or very limited antitrust immunity, and regulation of service and fare matters by the Federal Trade Commission, as other industries must operate under. But, what do I know!