Aviation & Space Law
DOT: Give Bumped Flyers More Money
Posted Jul 9, 2007, 08:35 pm CST
By Martha Neil
Government regulators reportedly are working on new rules that could require U.S. airlines to ante up a lot more money when they "bump" ticketed passengers from overcrowded flights.
Officials at the Department of Transportation are still working out details, but plan to introduce a draft rule tomorrow that would offer specific proposals for increasing penalties paid to passengers who are not permitted to take their scheduled flights, reports the Associated Press.
Currently, the penalty is $200 for a delay of up to two hours, and $400 for a delay of more than two hours. These amounts have been in effect since 1978, so providing an equivalent disincentive for delay today would require a hefty increase. The DOT reportedly is considering options that range from a relative modest 45 percent increase in the $200 penalty, to $290, to as much as $1,248. Another possibility is making the penalty equal to the price paid for the ticket.