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Posted December 16, 2024

Final Rule on Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers with Disabilities Using Wheelchairs. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or the Department) has issued a final rule to strengthen its regulation implementing the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and to address the serious problems that individuals with disabilities using wheelchairs and scooters face when traveling by air that impact their safety and dignity, including mishandled wheelchairs and scooters and improper transfers to and from aircraft seats, aisle chairs, and personal wheelchairs. This final rule also carries out certain rulemaking provisions required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.  This rule is effective on January 16, 2025. Individual requirements in the final rule have varying implementation timelines, ranging from January 16, 2025 to June 17, 2026 for training requirements 

The Final Rule can also be found at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0144.

Click this link for the Word version of the Final Rule.

Click this link for the PDF version of the Final Rule.
 

Posted December 5, 2024

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Airline Passenger Rights. The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeks public comment on how to best ensure consumers experiencing significant flight disruptions are taken care of and protected from financial loss. Specifically, it solicits comment on requiring airlines to pay passengers cash compensation, provide free rebooking, and cover meals, overnight lodging, and related transportation expenses when a disruption is airline-caused. DOT is also asking for comment on requiring airlines to provide free rebooking and cover meals, lodging, and transportation to and from the lodging for significant domestic flight disruptions, regardless of the cause of the disruption. Comments on the ANPRM must be received within 60 days of the date it is published in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed on www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2024-0062.

Click on this link to view the ANPRM in the Federal Register.

Click this link to view a PDF version of the ANPRM.

Posted October 23, 2024

DOT Issues $50 Million Penalty Against American Airlines for Its Treatment of Passengers Who Use Wheelchairs. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a $50 million penalty against American Airlines (American) for numerous serious violations between 2019 and 2023 of the laws protecting passengers with disabilities. DOT’s investigation into American uncovered cases of unsafe physical assistance at times resulting in injuries, undignified treatment of wheelchair users, and untimely wheelchair assistance. American also mishandled thousands of wheelchairs by damaging them or delaying their return, leaving travelers without the device they need for mobility. As part of today’s $50 million penalty, American will be required to pay $25 million to the U.S. Treasury. In addition, American will be credited $25 million for investments in equipment to reduce incidents of wheelchair damage, investments in a systemwide wheelchair tagging system to reduce incidents of wheelchair delay, deployment of hub control center employees to coordinate wheelchair handling on a centralized, systemwide basis at large airports, and compensation for affected passengers during the timeframe covered by DOT’s investigation.

Posted October 15, 2024

DOT Penalizes Lufthansa $4 Million for Violating Passengers’ Civil Rights. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced a $4 million penalty against Lufthansa for discriminating against Jewish passengers who were traveling from New York City through Frankfurt to Budapest in May 2022. Based on the alleged misconduct of some passengers, Lufthansa prohibited 128 Jewish passengers – most of whom wore distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men – from boarding their connecting flight in Germany. Despite many of the passengers not knowing each other nor traveling together, passengers interviewed by DOT investigators stated that Lufthansa treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding for the alleged misbehavior of a few. This penalty is the largest ever issued by DOT against an airline for civil rights violations.

Posted September 27, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation is extending the comment end date for interested persons to submit comments to its proposed rule on Family Seating in Air Transportation from October 8, 2024, to November 7, 2024. 

Posted September 20, 2024

Updated DOT Service Animal Forms. The Office of Management and Budget has renewed the OMB Control Number for the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form and the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (OMB Control Number 2105-0576). Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Federal Agencies are required to renew the control number for all information collections, including the DOT service animal forms, every 3 years. This renewal is not associated with a new rulemaking on service animals in air transportation, nor does this renewal impact the requirements in DOT’s Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) service animal rule that allows airlines to require the DOT forms from passengers traveling with service animals, which was published on December 10, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 79,742). 

As part of the PRA renewal process, DOT has amended the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form to make it less burdensome for individuals with disabilities to complete by reducing the number of questions on the form, including specific instructions on how to complete the form, and including answers to frequently asked questions. The Service Animal Relief Attestation Form has also been amended to include minor formatting changes and the required PRA Burden Statement. Click here to access the new forms and for more information on traveling by air with a service animal.

Posted August 5, 2024

Final Rule on Refunds and Other Consumer Protections II. The U.S. Department of Transportation published a final rule on April 26, 2024 to establish requirements for refunds and other protections for consumers of air travel.  Subsequent to publication of that final rule, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 was signed into law on May 16, 2024.  This final rule amends the Department’s regulations, as updated by the April 26, 2024 final rule, consistent with the requirements of the Act.

Posted August 1, 2024

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Family Seating in Air Transportation. The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing to require airlines to seat children aged 13 and under adjacent to at least one accompanying adult at no additional cost beyond the fare, subject to limited exceptions. This proposed rule is part of President Biden’s whole-of-government push to crackdown on fees that can unfairly raise prices for consumers.

Posted July 30, 2024

Today, Secretary Buttigieg sent a letter to the CEOs of the ten largest U.S. airlines to ensure that there is clarity and a shared understanding when it comes to the rights of air travelers and the obligations of U.S. and foreign airlines. 

Posted May 1, 2024

Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers with Disabilities Using Wheelchairs - Extension of Comment Period. The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) is extending through June 12, 2024, the period for interested persons to submit comments to its proposed rule on Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers with Disabilities Using Wheelchairs. The Department received a joint request for a 90-day extension from Airlines for America, the International Air Transport Association, the National Air Carriers Association, the Regional Airline Association, and the Airline Service Providers Association (Associations). The request also asked for clarification on various issues in the NPRM. Separately, the Department received a joint comment from 16 disability rights organizations urging the Department to deny the extension request. The Department has decided to extend the comment period for the proposed rule for 30 days from May 13, 2024, to June 12, 2024. The Department’s responses to the questions raised by Associations have been posted in the rulemaking docket at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2022-0144.

Click this link to view the Notice in the Federal Register.

Click this link to view an accessible PDF version of the Notice.

Click this link to view an accessible Word version of the Notice.

Posted April 29, 2024

Notice Seeking Public Comment to Renew DOT Service Animal Forms. This Notice announces the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) intention to renew the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number for the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form and the DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (DOT service animal forms).  Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, Federal Agencies are required to renew the OMB control number for all information collections, including the DOT service animal forms, every 3 years. This renewal is not associated with a new rulemaking on service animals in air transportation, nor does this renewal impact the requirements in DOT’s Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) service animal rule that allows airlines to require the DOT forms from passengers traveling with service animals, which was published on December 10, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 79,742).

Comments on this Notice must be received within 30 days of the date it is published in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed here.  If you do not wish to submit a comment electronically, the Notice also contains instructions on how to submit a comment by mail or in person at the Department.  

Click this link to view the Notice in the Federal Register.

Click this link to view the Notice on www.regulations.gov.

Click this link to view an accessible PDF version of the Notice.

Click this link to view an accessible Word version of the Notice.

Posted April 24, 2024

Final Rule on Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that codifies DOT's longstanding interpretation that it is an unfair business practice for a U.S. air carrier, a foreign air carrier, or a ticket agent to refuse to provide prompt refunds of airfare to consumers when a carrier has cancelled or made a significant change to a scheduled flight to, from, or within the United States, and consumers found the alternative transportation or compensation offered by the carrier or the ticket agent to be unacceptable. Under the final rule, U.S. and foreign air carriers must provide prompt automatic refunds and and ticket agents must provide prompt refunds upon request when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights and consumers do not accept the alternatives offered. This final rule also requires U.S. and foreign air carriers to promptly refund checked bag fees for significantly delayed bags and ancillary service fees for ancillary services that consumers paid for but were not provided. In addition, this final rule requires U.S. and foreign air carriers to provide transferrable travel vouchers or credits valid for at least 5 years to consumers holding non-refundable tickets for scheduled flights to, from, or within the United States who are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease. The Final Rule can also be found at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089.

Final Rule on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule to protect airline passengers from surprise fees when purchasing a ticket. The rule requires airlines and ticket agents to tell consumers upfront what fees they charge for a first or second checked bag, a carry-on bag, and for canceling or changing a reservation. This will help consumers avoid unneeded or unexpected fees that can increase quickly and add significant cost to what may, at first, look like a less expensive ticket. Under the rule, airlines and ticket agents must give consumers the option to receive passenger-specific fees taking into account their participation in the airline’s rewards program, their military status, or the credit card or to remain anonymous and receive the standard fee information. The rule also requires airlines to disclose their baggage, change, and cancellation policies before ticket purchase. It also contains various miscellaneous provisions. The Final Rule can also be found at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0109.

Posted April 16, 2024

Bipartisan Partnership Between Secretary Buttigieg and State Attorneys General to Protect Airline Passengers. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has entered into a bipartisan Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with attorneys general from 18 states and U.S. territories (State AGs) – memorialized in a signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) – to protect aviation consumers from unfair or deceptive practices. DOT and the State AGs will work together to promote compliance with aviation consumer protection requirements and hold airlines and ticket agents accountable.

Posted February 28, 2024

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers with Disabilities Using Wheelchairs. The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing to strengthen its rule implementing the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to ensure passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity. The proposed rule would require that airlines do better in accommodating passengers with disabilities by setting new standards for prompt, safe, and dignified assistance, mandating enhanced training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs, and outlining actions that airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged during transport. The proposed rule also clarifies that damaging or delaying the return of a wheelchair is an automatic violation of the ACAA. Comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) must be received within 60 days of the date it is published in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed on www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0144.

Click this link to view the NPRM in the Federal Register. 

Click this link for the Word version of the NPRM.

Click this link for the PDF version of the NPRM.

Posted December 18, 2023

DOT Penalizes Southwest Airlines $140 Million for Holiday Meltdown. This consent order assesses $140 million in civil penalties against Southwest Airlines for violations of consumer protection laws during and after the Southwest’s operational failures that stranded over two million passengers over the 2022 Christmas holiday and into the New Year. DOT's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) has determined that Southwest failed to provide: 1) prompt or proper refunds to thousands of passengers for flights the carrier cancelled or significantly changed, 2) prompt flight status notifications to over one million passengers for flight disruptions, and 3) adequate customer service assistance to hundreds of thousands of consumers during the widespread flight irregularities. The order directs Southwest Airlines to cease and desist from future similar violations. As part of this settlement, DOT is closing its unrealistic scheduling investigation without making a finding as its goal is to obtain quick relief for the public.

Posted October 5, 2023

Public Awareness Campaign to Ensure Air Travelers with Disabilities Know Their Rights. In celebration of the 37th anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched a campaign, #AccessibleAirTravel, to raise awareness about the right of air travelers with disabilities to safe, dignified, and accessible air travel. The Public Awareness Campaign, #AccessibleAirTravel, will draw attention to the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights through an informative DOT video to empower individuals with disabilities to understand and assert their right to safe, dignified, and accessible air travel. DOT is partnering with airlines, airports, ticket agents, and disability organizations in this campaign to improve public awareness of the Bill of Rights and ensure that travelers with disabilities know their rights by linking to the Bill of Rights video on their respective websites and by sharing the video on social media.

Posted September 28, 2023

Agreement Between U.S. Department of Transportation and United Airlines. The purpose of this agreement is to improve air travel for passengers who travel with wheelchairs. It stems from a disability complaint filed against United by Engracia Figueroa. Under the Agreement, United will take industry-leading actions that go above and beyond Federal requirements. This includes United : (1) rolling out a flight filter on its booking engine to make it easier for passengers who use wheelchairs to find flights where their wheelchairs can fit and be safely transported; (2) refunding the fare difference for passengers using the flight filter when the passenger’s preferred flight cannot accommodate their wheelchair and the flight that they travel on with their wheelchair is more expensive; (3) conducting a pilot program to explore whether additional equipment, such as a medical wheelchair or other form of moveable or non-moveable chair, can be utilized to safely accommodate passengers waiting for loaner wheelchairs; and (4) seeking feedback from each passenger who checks a wheelchair for transport in the aircraft cargo compartment.

Click this link for the Word version of the Agreement.

Click this link for the PDF version of the Agreement.

Posted July 26, 2023

Final Rule – Accessible Lavatories on Single-Aisle Aircraft. On the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Department of Transportation today announced a new rule which requires airline lavatories to be more accessible. This rulemaking requires airlines to make lavatories on new single-aisle aircraft large enough to permit a passenger with a disability and an attendant, both equivalent in size to a 95th percentile male, to approach, enter, and maneuver within as necessary to use the aircraft lavatory. The Final Rule can also be found at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2021-0137.

Posted March 31, 2023

Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees - Recording of Public Hearing. The U.S. Department of Transportation held a virtual public hearing on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees. Click this link to view a full video recording of the public meeting

Posted March 21, 2023

Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections - Recording of Public Hearing. The U.S. Department of Transportation held a virtual public hearing on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections. Click this link to view a full video recording of the public meeting.

Posted March 13, 2023

Family Seating Legislative Proposal. On Friday, March 10, 2023, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent letters to the leaders of Congress urging passage of the Administration's proposed legislation to ensure young kids are seated next to at least one parent or other accompanying adult without getting charged a junk fee. 

Posted March 9, 2023

Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections.  This Notice announces the rescheduling of a virtual public hearing on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections, originally scheduled for March 14, 2023.  DOT is postponing this hearing for one week, now to be held on March 21 at 10:00 am  Eastern Time, to provide participants more time to prepare for the hearing.  DOT is also extending the time of the hearing to ensure all participants have adequate opportunity to speak.  DOT has not made any changes to the topics to be discussed at the hearing. Detailed information about the issues to be discussed at the hearing is available at the earlier notice.  Register here.  Participants who already registered for the March 14 hearing (now rescheduled to March 21) should re-register at this link. 

Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees. This Notice announces the rescheduling of a virtual public hearing on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees, originally scheduled for March 16.  DOT is postponing this hearing for two weeks, now to be held on March 30 at 9:00 am  Eastern Time, to provide participants more time to prepare for the hearing. DOT is also extending the time of the hearing to ensure all participants have adequate opportunity to speak. DOT has not made any changes to the topics to be discussed at the hearing. Detailed information about the issues to be discussed at the hearing is available at the earlier notice. Register here.  Participants who already registered for the March 16 hearing (now rescheduled to March 30) should re-register at this link. The Department is also reopening the comment period for this rulemaking from the date of publication in the Federal Register to April 6 (one week after the hearing) based on a request by Travelers United. Comments may be submitted here.

Posted January 23, 2023

Procedural Information Regarding Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The comment period on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees, which was published in the Federal Register on October 20, 2022, closes today, Monday, January 23, 2023. The NPRM provided for a comment period of 60 days after publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register, i.e., December 19, 2022, and was subsequently extended to January 23, 2023, in response to commenter requests. On Friday, January 20, 2023, DOT denied a request by Travel Technology Association to extend the comment period beyond January 23, 2023. The following day, Traveler’s United submitted a request for additional time to comment on this NPRM. DOT will consider the request by Traveler’s United and publish a decision whether to reopen the comment period in the Federal Register. In the meanwhile, we remind the public that late filed comments will be considered to the extent practicable. Further, to facilitate the public’s consideration of this NPRM, DOT has summarized in this notice the recommendations adopted by the ACPAC at its January 12 meeting -- a video recording of the full meeting was previously posted publicly on DOT’s website.

Posted January 20, 2023

Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees - Denial of Request for Extension of Comment Period. The Department of Transportation declines to extend the comment period beyond January 23, 2023 for its proposed rule on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees. On January 18, 2023, the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) filed a request to extend the comment period for this NPRM to review and respond to the recommendations on the rulemaking that resulted from the January 12 meeting of the DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC). Travel Tech stated that it and others were not able to view the meeting when it occurred, and that, at the time the organization requested an extension, the meeting materials had not yet been posted to the public docket. DOT finds insufficient basis to extend further the comment period for the Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees NPRM as stakeholders were provided sufficient notice of the ACPAC meeting in advance, and the Federal Register notice announcing the meeting noted that the ACPAC intended to deliberate and decide on recommendations, if any, regarding ancillary fee transparency. The meeting was publicly viewable on the date it was held. Further, materials from the ACPAC’s January 12 meeting, including a video recording of the full meeting, have been posted publicly and can be viewed on the DOT’s website or on regulations.gov (Docket DOT-OST-2018-0190). Moreover, DOT believes members of the public have had sufficient time, nearly 4 months, to consider the proposed rule and to file comments. 

Posted January 3, 2023

Notice Regarding Investigatory and Enforcement Policies and Procedures. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP), a unit within the Office of the General Counsel, is issuing this notice to explain its investigatory and enforcement policies and practices and reaffirm its commitment to vigorously enforce the law to protect aviation consumers.  A robust enforcement program is necessary to protect the rights of the traveling public, particularly given the unprecedented increase in air travel service complaints received by the Department against airlines and ticket agents since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. To confront the challenges faced by consumers, OACP believes that it is necessary to recalibrate the penalties imposed on airlines and ticket agents for violations of consumer protection, civil rights and economic licensing requirements. OACP intends to hold the regulated entities accountable and deter future misconduct by seeking higher penalties that would not be viewed as simply a cost of doing business.

Posted December 28, 2022

Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee - Notice of Public Meeting. The U.S. Department of Transportation announces a public meeting of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC), to be held virtually to deliberate on the Department's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees; and to vote on recommendations regarding the Department's NPRM on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections. The virtual meeting will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. Registration information is provided in the Notice.

Posted December 14, 2022

Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees- Extension of Comment Period.  The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) is extending through January 23, 2023, the period for interested persons to submit comments to its proposed rule on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees.  The Department received requests for extension from Airlines for America (A4A) and International Air Transportation Association (IATA); Travel Technology Association, American Society of Travel Advisors, and Global Business Travel Association; National Air Carrier Association; and Sabre Corporation.  A4A and IATA have also asked for clarification on various issues in the NPRM. The Department’s responses to the questions raised by airlines will be posted in the rulemaking docket at https://www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2022-0109.

Posted November 14, 2022

Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections – Extension of Comment Period. The U.S. Department of Transportation is extending through December 16, 2022, the period for interested persons to submit comments to its proposed rule on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections. In the request for extension of comment period, Airlines for America and International Air Transport Association (Airline Petitioners) seek clarifications from the Department on various issues raised in the NPRM. The Travel Technology Association, the American Society of Travel Advisors, and the Travel Management Coalition (Distribution Petitioners) also state that several issues raised by Airline Petitioners are of particular interest to Distribution Petitioners and the Department’s clarifications on those issues are needed for them to prepare comments on those issues. The Department’s responses to the list of questions raised by Airline Petitioners have been posted in the rulemaking docket, www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089.

Posted November 10, 2022

Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee - Notice of Public Meeting. The U.S. Department of Transportation announces a two-day public meeting of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC), to be held virtually to discuss the Department's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees, and for the ACPAC to deliberate on the following three topics: (1) information provided to consumers adversely affected by airline delays or cancellations; (2) availability of airline flight information; and (3) the Department’s NPRM on Airline Ticket Refunds. The virtual meeting will be held on December 8 and 9, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. Registration information is provided in the Notice. The Notice also provides information on how interested parties can request an opportunity to make remarks at the meeting

Posted September 26, 2022

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing a rule which would significantly strengthen protections for consumers by ensuring any fees charged to seat a young child with an accompanying adult, change or cancel a flight, or travel with a first checked bag, a second checked bag, or a carry-on bag would be disclosed whenever fare and schedule information is provided for flights to, within, and from the United States. These fees would be required to be displayed as passenger-specific or itinerary-specific based on the consumer’s choice. The proposal would also require airlines and ticket agents to enable consumers traveling with young children to purchase adjacent seats with their airline tickets at all points of sale. Airlines that do not charge a fee for adjacent seating to those traveling with a young child would not be required to disclose or make transactable adjacent seating fees. The Department further proposes to require that carriers provide useable, current, and accurate information to ticket agents regarding baggage fees, change fees, cancellation fees, and adjacent seating fees for families traveling with young children, if any, to ticket agents that sell or display the carrier’s fare and schedule information. The Department does not dictate the method that carriers would use to share fee information with ticket agents. 

Comments on the NPRM must be received within 60 days of the date it is published in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed on www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0109.

Posted August 26, 2022

Guidance Regarding Interpretation of Unfair and Deceptive Practices. The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP), a unit within the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is issuing this guidance to inform the public and regulated entities about DOT’s interpretation of the terms unfair, deceptive, and practices as it relates to its statutory authority to prohibit unfair or deceptive practices. The Department is taking this action to better define the terms unfair and deceptive in response to an Executive order issued by President Biden on July 9, 2021, on promoting competition in the American economy.

Posted August 3, 2022

Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee - Notice of Public Meeting. The U.S. Department of Transportation announces a public meeting of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC), to be held virtually to discuss the Department’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections. The virtual meeting will be held on Monday, August 22, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. Registration information is provided in the Notice. The Notice also provides information on how interested parties can request an opportunity to make remarks at the meeting.

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections. The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) is proposing to codify its longstanding interpretation that it is an unfair business practice for a U.S. air carrier, a foreign air carrier, or a ticket agent to refuse to provide requested refunds to consumers when a carrier has cancelled or made a significant change to a scheduled flight to, from, or within the United States, and consumers found the alternative transportation offered by the carrier or the ticket agent to be unacceptable. The Department is also proposing to require that U.S. and foreign air carriers and ticket agents provide non-expiring travel vouchers or credits to consumers holding non-refundable tickets for scheduled flights to, from, or within the United States who are unable to travel as scheduled in certain circumstances related to a serious communicable disease. Furthermore, the Department is proposing to require U.S. and foreign air carriers and ticket agents provide refunds, in lieu of non-expiring travel vouchers or credits, if the carrier or ticket agent received significant financial assistance from the government as a result of a public health emergency. The NPRM proposes to allow carriers and ticket agents to require consumers provide evidence to support their assertion of entitlement to a travel voucher, credit, or refund.

Comments on the NPRM must be received within 90 days of the date it is published in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed on www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089.

Posted July 8, 2022

Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights. The U.S. Department of Transportation worked with members of the Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee, which includes voices from the disability community and industry stakeholders, to create the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights describes the fundamental rights of air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act and its implementing regulation. This easy-to-use summary will empower travelers to understand their rights and help the travel industry uphold those rights.

Notice Encouraging U.S. Airlines to Have Policies that Enable Children To Be Seated Adjacent to an Accompanying Adult to the Maximum Extent Practicable and at No Additional Cost.  The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) has issued a notice urging U.S. airlines to do everything in their power to ensure that children who are age 13 or younger are seated next to an accompanying adult with no additional charge. Although the Department receives a low number of complaints from consumers about family seating, there continue to be complaints of instances where young children, including a child as young as 11 months, are not seated next to an accompanying adult. In four months from the date of this Notice, OACP plans to initiate a review of airline policies and consumer complaints filed with the Department. If airlines’ seating policies and practices are barriers to a child sitting next to an adult family member or other accompanying adult family member, the Department will consider additional action consistent with its authorities.  

Posted May 26, 2022

Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee - Notice of Public Meeting. The U.S. Department of Transportation announces that the public meeting of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) which was originally scheduled to be held on March 21 and 22, 2022 is rescheduled to June 28 and 29, 2022. In addition, one of the topics planned for discussion at the rescheduled meeting has changed from Airline Ticket Refunds to Airline Ancillary Service Fees.

Posted March 18, 2022

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Accessible Lavatories on Single-Aisle Aircraft:  Part 2.  DOT has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to require airlines to ensure that at least one lavatory on new single-aisle aircraft with 125 or more passenger seats is large enough to permit a passenger with a disability (with the help of an assistant, if necessary) to approach, enter, and maneuver within the aircraft lavatory, as necessary, to use all lavatory facilities and leave by means of the aircraft’s on-board wheelchair.

In 2020, DOT issued an NPRM titled “Accessible Lavatories on Single-Aisle Aircraft:  Part 1” (“Part 1 NPRM”).  In the Part 1 NPRM, DOT proposed a number of accessibility improvements that did not involve expanding the size of the lavatory itself, including improvements to lavatory interiors (accessible handles, faucets, etc.), training and information requirements, and improvements to the design of the aircraft’s on-board wheelchair.  

The NPRM announced today is “Accessible Lavatories on Single-Aisle Aircraft:  Part 2” (“Part 2 NPRM”).

Comments to the Part 2 NPRM must be received within 60 days of the date the notice being published in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed on www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2021-0137.

Posted March 10, 2022

Public Meeting on Air Travel by Persons Who Use Wheelchairs. The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) hosted a virtual public meeting regarding air travel by persons who use wheelchairs on Thursday, March 24, 2022. Further information on the meeting, including links to the recordings, can be found here.

Posted March 10, 2022

On November 11, 2021, the Department issued a Federal Register notice announcing two meetings of the ACPAC, the first to be held on December 2, 2021 and the second to be held on March 21 and 22, 2022.  The ACPAC met on December 2, 2021 as planned and discussed two topics, one of which was Airline Ticket Refunds.  The Department planned to continue discussion of the Airline Ticket Refunds topic at the March 21 and 22, 2022 meeting concurrently with the projected date of the public comment period for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Airline Ticket Refund and Consumer Protections (RIN 2105-AF04).  Taking into account delays associated with the rulemaking process and the availability of the ACPAC members, the meeting originally scheduled for March 21 and 22, 2022 is being postponed.  A Federal Register notice announcing the new date for the ACPAC meeting will be issued soon.

Posted January 24, 2022

DOT Announces Rule to Help Department Move More Swiftly to Protect Aviation Consumers from Unfair and Deceptive Practices. The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) today announced a final rule that will help it move more swiftly to protect aviation consumers from unfair and deceptive practices. The rule will simplify and speed up the hearing procedures that the Department uses when it issues aviation consumer protection rulemakings to prohibit unfair or deceptive practices by airlines and ticket agents. The Department’s upcoming consumer protection rulemakings on airline ticket refunds and transparency of airline ancillary fees will also be based on the authority to prevent unfair and deceptive practices. Currently, if the Department proposes a rulemaking that would protect aviation consumers from an unfair or deceptive practice by an airline or ticket agent, interested parties have the right to ask for a hearing to examine whether the Department’s views are based on a proper economic or scientific foundation. The rule announced today will still provide all interested parties with an opportunity to be heard while providing the Department with greater flexibility to help prevent aviation consumer protection rulemakings from being delayed. The final rule will enable the Department to speed up the rulemaking process and protect consumers by providing the agency with greater flexibility to appoint appropriate hearing officers, eliminating the requirement for the officer to issue a detailed report, and providing more options for the officer on when and how testimony is presented at the hearing. The final rule also clarifies that hearings will only be granted if they are in the public interest.  

Along with these updated procedures, the Department also announced that it intends, in the near future, to issue an interpretive rule, also known as guidance, on the definitions of “unfair” and “deceptive” for purposes of aviation consumer protection. The interpretive rule will further explain the meanings of the terms as defined in the regulation. 

Posted December 15, 2021

Joint Meeting Public Notice. On December 16, 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Architectural Transportation Barriers and Compliance Board (Access Board) are jointly hosting a public meeting, to be held virtually, on a DOT Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued on January 2, 2020 and on Access Board’s proposed advisory guidelines for aircraft onboard wheelchairs issued on August 20, 2019.  The NPRM proposed specific measures for improving accessibility of lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for passengers with disabilities.  The public meeting will focus on one aspect of this NPRM – improvements to the aircraft’s onboard wheelchair (OBW).  The meeting will also serve as a means for the Access Board to gather additional information on onboard wheelchair loads and onboard wheelchair casters before finalizing its advisory guidelines for aircraft onboard wheelchairs, which potentially could be a means of complying with OBW performance standards established by the Department. 

The Word version of the Meeting Agenda can be found here: Word Version.  The PDF version of the Meeting Agenda can be found here: PDF Version.

Posted November 23, 2021

DOT Secures Record $4.5 Million Agreement with Air Canada to Settle Refund Case Involving Thousands of Consumers. Today, the DOT Office of Hearings approved the Settlement Agreement filed by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and Air Canada. The settlement resolves OACP’s action against the carrier for its extreme delays in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the United States that the carrier canceled or significantly changed. The agreement marks the highest amount OACP has ever assessed against an airline. In addition to the $4.5 million settlement, Air Canada would agree going forward to refund airfare to passengers who purchase nonrefundable tickets to or from the United States whose flights are cancelled or significantly changed by the carrier. Of the $4.5 million assessed, $2.5 million would be credited to Air Canada for refunding passengers who purchased a nonrefundable ticket for a flight to or from the United States that the passenger ultimately decided not to take. The remaining $2 million would be paid to the U.S. Treasury. The settlement agreement and other related materials can be found at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2021-0073.

Posted November 17, 2021

Public Meetings of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee. The Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) will hold public meetings on December 2, 2021 and March 21-22, 2022.

  • December 2, 2021 Meeting: The first meeting will be held virtually from 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET. The ACPAC will discuss two topics: (1) Airline Ticket Refunds and (2) Information for Consumers Adversely Affected by Airline Delays or Cancellations. To register and attend this virtual meeting, please click this link: Webinar Registration.
  • March 21-22, 2022 Meeting: The second meeting is tentatively planned to be held in-person at the DOT headquarters building in Washington, D.C. from 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET. Attendance is open to the public, up to the room's capacity of 100 attendees. The ACPAC will discuss two topics: (1) Airline Ticket Refunds (continued from the first meeting) and (2) Enhancing Consumer Access to Airline Flight Information. To register for the second in-person meeting, please contact the Department by email at ACPAC@dot.gov

Posted September 21, 2021

Clarification of Departmental Position on American Airlines – JetBlue Airways Northeast Alliance Joint Venture. By this notice, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) clarifies its position on the American Airlines (American) and JetBlue Airways (JetBlue) Northeast Alliance (NEA) joint venture agreements and the January 10, 2021 agreement between and among DOT, JetBlue, and American (DOT Agreement) terminating the Department’s review of the NEA, following the September 21, 2021 announcement of antitrust litigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The Department will work closely with DOJ should it seek data and documents that will help in the resolution of DOJ’s action. The DOT Agreement remains in effect during the pendency of the DOJ litigation. The Department retains independent statutory authority under 49 U.S.C. 41712 to prohibit unfair methods of competition in air transportation to further its statutory objectives to prevent predatory or anticompetitive practices and to avoid unreasonable industry concentration. However, the Department intends to defer to DOJ, as the primary enforcer of Federal antitrust laws, to resolve the antitrust concerns that DOJ has identified with respect to the NEA. The Department also intends to stay the proceedings in a Spirit Airlines, Inc. (Spirit) formal complaint against the NEA’s implementation while the DOJ action is pending. The Department will assess its next steps, if any, relating to the Spirit complaint and the NEA at the conclusion of the DOJ litigation.

Posted September 9, 2021

DOT Report on Airline Ticket Refunds. This report responds to the requirement in section 5, paragraph(m)(i)(C) of Executive Order 14036 on Promoting Competition in the American Economy to describe the Department’s progress in its investigatory and enforcement activities to address the failure of airlines to provide timely refunds for flights cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Department’s efforts are an essential tool to ensure that airlines do not abuse vulnerable travelers during a pandemic. The report provides information regarding the airline ticket refund complaints that the Department received during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department’s authority to investigate such complaints and take enforcement action, the Department’s efforts to ensure airlines comply with their refund obligations, the Department’s pending refund investigations and enforcement actions, and other activities undertaken by the Department to address difficulties passengers encountered in obtaining airline ticket refunds.

Posted July 9, 2021

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) - Refunding Fees for Delayed Checked Bags and Ancillary Services that Are Not Provided. The U.S. Department of Transportation is issuing an NPRM that would require airlines to refund fees for checked bags that are significantly delayed and for ancillary services, such as advance seat selection and wi-fi, when consumers pay for them but they are not provided.  Under an existing DOT rule, passengers are entitled to a fee refund if their checked bags are lost. The NPRM proposes to require airlines to also refund checked baggage fees when the baggage is delayed beyond 12 hours for domestic flights and beyond 25 hours for international flights. It also proposes to require airlines to promptly provide a refund to a passenger of any fees paid for ancillary services anytime that the services are not provided by the airline.  The Department’s existing rule states that airlines are required to refund fees for services that were not provided due to an oversale situation or flight cancellation.

Posted February 5, 2021

Accommodation by Carriers of Persons with Disabilities Who Are Unable to Wear or Safely Wear Masks While on Commercial Aircraft - Notice of Enforcement Policy. The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP), a unit within the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is issuing this Notice of Enforcement Policy to remind U.S. and foreign air carriers of their legal obligation to accommodate the needs of passengers with disabilities when developing procedures to implement the Federal mandate on the use of masks to mitigate the public health risks associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019. OACP will exercise its prosecutorial discretion and provide airlines 45 days from the date of this notice to be in compliance with their obligation under the Air Carrier Access Act and the Department’s implementing regulation in 14 CFR Part 382 to provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities who are unable to wear or safely wear masks, so long as the airlines demonstrate that they began the process of compliance as soon as this notice was issued.

Posted January 21, 2021

At the direction of President Biden, the White House Chief of Staff issued a Memorandum for the heads of executive departments and agencies to immediately withdraw any rulemaking documents that have been sent to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) but not published in the Federal Register, subject to certain exceptions, to ensure that the President’s appointees or designees have the opportunity to review new or pending rules.  Accordingly, the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) is withdrawing the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Airfare Advertising and the Final Rule on Tarmac Delay, both of which have been sent to the OFR but have not yet been published in the Federal Register.  The Department has also removed these two documents from Regulations.gov in Dockets DOT-OST-2021-0007 and DOT-OST-2019-0144 and the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection website.

Posted January 15, 2021

Oversales and Domestic Baggage – Final Rule.  The U.S. Department of Transportation is issuing a final rule to revise its oversales regulation, 14 CFR Part 250, by clarifying that the maximum amount of Denied Boarding Compensation that a carrier may provide to a passenger denied boarding involuntarily is not limited, and by prohibiting airlines from involuntarily denying boarding to a passenger after the passenger’s boarding pass has been collected or scanned and the passenger has boarded, subject to safety and security exceptions. Further, pursuant to existing regulations, this final rule raises the liability limits for denied boarding compensation that U.S. and foreign air carriers may impose from the current figures of $675 and $1,350 to $775 and $1,550. Also, in accordance with existing regulations, this final rule revises 14 CFR Part 254 to raise the liability limit U.S. carriers may impose for mishandled baggage in domestic air transportation, adjusting the limit of liability from the current amount of $3,500 to $3,800.

U.S. DOT Service Animal Forms. On December 10, 2020, the Department published in the Federal Register a final rule, Traveling by Air with Service Animals.  In that final rule, the Department allows airlines to require passengers traveling with service animals to provide airlines with two forms of documentation developed by the Department – a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form and a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (DOT service animal forms).  

Airlines that require the DOT service animal forms must make the forms available to passengers on their website in an accessible format. DOT is providing a sample accessible fillable PDF version of the DOT service animal forms on its Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) website.  Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available for download free of charge at https://get.adobe.com/reader(link is external), is needed to open the PDF version of the DOT service animal forms.  Although DOT is providing these forms in PDF format, DOT encourages airlines to use an accessible web format such as HTML for the forms. Typically, for usability reasons, an accessible web format rather than PDF is used by entities when the data entered onto a form is received by the entity posting the form. Also, using an accessible web format, like HTML, has the added benefit of ensuring that the forms are accessible on mobile devices.

Finally, although the DOT service animal forms require a service animal user to identify the service animal’s name, we advise airline personnel against speaking the service animal’s name to avoid distracting the dog and having the dog’s attention on the speaker, which may interfere with the animal’s ability to assist its handler with his or her disability and diminish the handler’s ability to maintain control of the dog.

U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form

U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form 

Posted December 23, 2020

Notice of Withdrawal of Request for Information on Exploring Industry Practices on Distribution and Display of Airline Fare, Schedule, and Availability Information.  The Department of Transportation is withdrawing a Request for Information that solicited information on whether airline restrictions on the distribution or display of airline flight information harm consumers and constitute an unfair and deceptive business practice and/or an unfair method of competition.  

Posted December 22, 2020

On December 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) published in the Federal Register a final rule to amend the Department’s Air Carrier Access Act regulation on the transport of service animals by air.  In that final rule, the Department allows airlines to require passengers traveling with service animals to provide carriers with two forms of documentation developed by the Department – a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form and a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), no person is required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.  In accordance with this requirement, the Department announces that OMB has assigned control number “2105-0576” to the information collection requirements found in the Traveling by Air with Service Animals final rule.  The expiration date for these forms is December 31, 2023.  

The statement, which appears at the top of the Department’s service animal forms published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2020, states “According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.  The OMB control number for this information collection is ______________.”  This statement must be replaced with the following PRA burden statement: “According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The estimated burden to complete this form is 15 minutes. The OMB control number for this information collection is 2105-0576. The authority for the collection expires on December 31, 2023.”  

Posted December 2, 2020

Final Rule - Traveling by Air with Service Animals. This final rule amends the Department’s Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transport of service animals by air.  This final rule is intended to ensure that our air transportation system is safe for the traveling public and accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Posted November 27,  2020

Final Rule - Defining Unfair or Deceptive Practices.  The Department has the statutory authority to protect airline consumers from unfair or deceptive practices by airlines or ticket agents, and most of its aviation consumer protections regulations are based on that authority.  However, the terms unfair or deceptive are not defined in the statute.  This rule defines those terms and is intended to provide regulated entities and other stakeholders clarity and certainty about what constitutes unfair or deceptive practices and the Department’s process for making such determinations in the context of aviation consumer protection rulemaking and enforcement actions.

Posted August 25, 2020

September 24, 2020 Meeting of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee.  The next public meeting of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) will be held virtually on September 24, 2020.  The ACPAC members will discuss and deliberate on three topics: (1) the report of the National In-Flight Sexual Misconduct Task Force (Task Force), an ACPAC subcommittee; (2) transparency of airline ancillary service fees; and (3) involuntary changes to travel itineraries.  Virtual attendance is open to the public, to register please email the Department at ACPAC@dot.gov(link sends email).

The Department’s press release announcing the meeting is available here.

Posted May 12, 2020

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Airline Ticket Refunds Given the Unprecedented Impact of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on Air Travel - The Department’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings (Aviation Enforcement Office), a unit within the Office of the General Counsel, is providing answers to some of the most common questions about refunds to help consumers understand their rights and to ensure airlines and ticket agents are complying with aviation consumer protection requirements.

Posted April 29, 2020

Notice Regarding Current Administration and Enforcement of The Essential Air Service Program - The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs is providing notice that it will authorize subsidy payments for certain non-completed flights under the Essential Air Service (EAS) Program given the significant reduction in passenger demand caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency and the financial impact on air carriers.

Posted April 23, 2020

Defining Unfair or Deceptive Practices - Grant of Request for Extension of Comment Period -  The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that an extension of the comment period for an additional 30 days is appropriate.

Posted April 17, 2020

Notice - Reporting of Causes of Flight Delays and Cancellations Given The Unprecedented Impact Of The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency On Air Travel.

Posted April 7, 2020

Denial of Request for Extension of Comment Period - Traveling by Air with Service Animals NPRM - The U.S. Department of Transportation is denying the requests to extend the comment period on the Department’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Traveling by Air with Service Animals.  The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on February 5, 2020.

Posted April 3, 2020

Enforcement Notice Regarding Refunds by Carriers Given the Unprecedented Impact of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on Air Travel - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, a unit within the Office of the General Counsel, is issuing this notice to remind the traveling public and U.S. and foreign carriers that passengers should be refunded promptly when their scheduled flights are cancelled or significantly delayed.  Although the COVID-19 public health emergency has had an unprecedented impact on air travel, the airlines’ obligation to refund passengers for cancelled or significantly delayed flights remains unchanged.

Posted March 16, 2020

A Report on Sexual Misconduct on Commercial Flights by the National In-Flight Sexual Misconduct Task Force  -  On March 16, 2020, the Task Force submitted a report to the Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee on awareness, training, reporting, and data collection regarding incidents of sexual misconduct by passengers onboard commercial aircraft.

Posted March 2, 2020

Enforcement Notice Regarding Denying Boarding by Airlines of Individuals Suspected of Having Coronavirus - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings’ (Enforcement Office), a unit within the Office of the General Counsel, regulates whether airlines may limit access to transportation because a passenger has a communicable disease.  The Enforcement Office is issuing this notice to advise the public that airlines may screen passengers during the check-in and boarding process for flights to the United States from countries with travel health notices issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) stemming from an outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).  If passengers seeking to travel from these countries to the United States display symptoms of COVID-19, airlines may deny boarding to them under certain circumstances.  

Posted February 20, 2020

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Defining Unfair or Deceptive Practices. The Department of Transportation is proposing to amend its regulations regarding unfair or deceptive practices in aviation consumer protection. This rulemaking would define unfair and deceptive practices by airlines and ticket agents in air transportation. This rulemaking would also amend and clarify the procedures that the Department would follow when engaging in aviation consumer protection rulemaking and enforcement based on its authority to prohibit unfair or deceptive practices.

The comment period closes 60 days from publication of the rulemaking in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed on www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2019-0182.

Posted January 22, 2020

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) - Traveling by Air with Service Animals. In the Department’s Traveling by Air with Service Animals Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Department proposes the following changes to its current Air Carrier Access Act service animal rule in 14 CFR Part 382: 

  • Definition of Service Animal:  The Department proposes to define a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.  This proposed definition of a service animal is similar to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition of a service animal.
  • Emotional Support Animals:  The Department’s proposed rulemaking does not require airlines to recognize emotional support animals as service animals.  Airlines would be permitted to treat emotional support animals, which are not trained to do work or perform a task for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, as pets.
  • Species:  Under the Department’s proposed rule, airlines would only be required to transport dogs as service animals.  As a result, airlines would no longer be required to accommodate miniature horses, cats, rabbits, birds, and all other service animals that airlines are currently required to transport.   
  • Documentation:  Airlines would be permitted to require passengers with a disability traveling with a service animal to complete and submit to the airline the following forms developed by DOT as a condition of transportation: (1) U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Health Form, to be completed by a veterinarian in order to certify the animal’s good health; (2) U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Behavior and Training Attestation Form, to be completed by the service animal handler in order to attest to the animal’s good behavior; and (3) U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation, to be completed by the service animal handler when traveling with a service animal on a flight eight hours or longer in order to verify that the animal has the ability to either not relieve itself, or can relieve itself in a sanitary manner.  Under the Department’s proposal, these three documents would be the only documents that an airline could require from an individual with a disability traveling with a service animal. The DOT forms would include a warning that it would be a Federal crime for a service animal handler to make false statements or representations on these forms to secure disability accommodations. 
  • Check-In Requirements:  The Department proposes to allow airlines to require all passengers with a disability traveling with a service animal to check in one-hour before the check-in time for the general public as a condition for travel with a service animal to allow time to process the service animal documentation and observe the animal.  However, the Department also proposes that if an airline imposes the one-hour check-in requirement on passengers traveling with service animals, the airline must designate a location in the airport for these passengers to check-in promptly by a trained agent.
  • Number of Service Animals Per Passenger:  The Department’s NPRM proposes to require airlines to accept up to two service animals per passenger for transport on an aircraft.  In order to determine if the animal qualifies as a service animal, airlines are permitted to ask passengers with disabilities if the animal is required to accompany the passenger because of a disability, and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform, but the airline must not ask the passenger the nature of his or her disability, nor are airlines permitted to ask service animals to demonstrate the work or tasks they have been trained to perform.  
  • Large Service Animals: The Department proposes to allow airlines to limit service animals based on whether the animal can fit onto the service animal handler’s lap or within the handler’s foot space.  Airlines would be permitted to reject service animals that are too large to fit on these spaces. 
  • Control of the Animal:  The Department proposes to continue to permit airlines to require that service animals be harnessed, leashed, tethered or otherwise under the control of its handler at all times in the airport and on the aircraft.  In general, tethering and similar means of controlling an animal that are permitted in the Americans with Disabilities Act context would be reasonable in the context of controlling service animals in the airport and on the aircraft.
  • Direct Threat: The Department proposes to continue to allow airlines to refuse to transport a service animal if the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.  In determining whether to deny transport to a serve animal on the basis that the animal poses a direct threat, the NPRM specifies that airline must make an individualized assessment based on reasonable judgments that relies on the best available objective evidence to ascertain the nature, duration, and severity of the risk; the probability that the potential injury will occur; and whether reasonable modifications will mitigate the risk.
  • Breed Restrictions:  The Department proposes to continue prohibiting airlines from imposing breed and other categorical restrictions on service animals.  In the NPRM, the Department proposes explicit language that states that airlines are not permitted to refuse to transport service animals based on breed. 

The comment period closes 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Comments can be filed on www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2018-0068.

Posted January 22, 2020

The Department has published a Notice to inform U.S. and certain foreign air carriers of inflation adjustments to liability limits of air carriers and foreign air carriers under the Montreal Convention. The adjustments affect limits on liability for damages for passenger death or injury, delay in the carriage of passengers, and the loss, delay or damage to baggage or cargo, increasing those limits by nearly 14 percent. This increase became effective on December 28, 2019.

Person Waiting at Airport