Tag Archives for department of transportation.
American Airlines is defending its right to refund only 40% when it downgrades a passenger, even if that leaves the carrier keeping thousands of dollars. It now promises a different calculation, but wants regulators to dismiss the complaint without making shortchanged customers whole.
DOT is proposing to weaken airfare advertising rules by allowing taxes, fees, and fare components to appear as prominently as the total price, instead of requiring the all-in fare to stand out most. The agency is also asking whether it should repeal the full fare rule entirely, a change airlines have long wanted but one that could make airfare shopping more confusing for consumers.
There is nothing inherently wrong with Sean Duffy filming a patriotic family road-trip show. The problem is the money: a pitch deck sought up to $1 million from sponsors including companies regulated by the Department of Transportation.
A must-pass funding package to avoid a January 30 government shutdown is carrying quiet airline policy moves that will matter far more than the headlines about FAA dollars.
The major pilot union is celebrating “two fully rested pilots at all times,” but the language is really a spending restriction that prevents the FAA from studying new technologies that might improve safety, and separate language orders the Department of Transportation to revisit decades-old international aviation policy that has worked to open market access and foster competition.
DOT Secretary Sean Duffy launched a campaign lecturing travelers on etiquette, blaming passenger behavior for inflight frustrations. Yet he conveniently ignores far bigger problems—including airlines shielded from accountability, TSA-induced travel stress, and, ironically, his own boss’s famously poor manners.
DOT made headlines bragging about a “record” $140 million penalty against Southwest for its Christmas 2022 meltdown, but the airline was never really on the hook for that number. Now that the agency has quietly waived the final $11 million, and surprisingly that was the right move.
Sean Duffy and Gavin Newsom are suddenly relitigating pandemic mask mandates and arguing over how people should dress on airplanes — a bizarre clash years after the rules ended. The exchange isn’t really about masks or manners at all, but about positioning for 2028 and appealing to their respective bases.
The DOT’s recent airline passenger regulations have stretched their authority, prompting a major rethink. Instead of rushing rules through, they’re adopting a more deliberate, evidence-based process—hoping new consumer protections withstand legal scrutiny and deliver lasting passenger benefits.
The Trump administration has formally withdrawn the Biden administration’s plan to require airlines to pay cash compensation for flight delays — a rule that was never close to becoming real. Despite two years of headlines, DOT never issued an actual proposal, never established legal authority, and never moved beyond an advance notice of proposed rulemaking.
Delta Air Lines scored a critical victory when a federal appeals court paused the Department of Transportation’s order to break up its joint venture with Aeromexico. The partnership can continue pending appeal, pushing any final decision into late 2026 and ensuring joint scheduling and pricing remain in place for now.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
