By Rajesh Kumar Singh
CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday announced a partnership with attorneys general to expedite investigations into complaints against airlines and ticket agents as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen consumer protections.
Currently, the authority to enforce passenger protection rests solely with the federal government. And while attorneys general receive complaints from consumers, airlines are not legally required to respond to their inquiries.
Under the partnership, Buttigieg said states will investigate complaints against airlines and refer them to the U.S. Department of Transportation for priority review and enforcement action.
They will also sue airlines if they do not respond to requests for information. The DOT will give states access to its database of consumer complaints.
“The truth is we need force multipliers to meet the need, given the record-breaking air travel we’ve seen,” Buttigieg told reporters.
Complaints about U.S. airlines rose sharply last year, even as the number of canceled flights fell to a decade low, Transportation Department data show.
The Biden administration has aggressively pushed measures to expand consumer rights for airline passengers.
It has proposed rules to mandate compensation for passengers and amenities when airlines are responsible for flight delays or cancellations. It has also put pressure on airlines to get rid of junk fees, including those for placing families together.
Buttigieg has opened numerous investigations and imposed fines over carrier misconduct. Last year, the DOT fined Southwest Airlines $140 million for a December 2022 holiday crisis that led to 16,900 flight cancellations and stranded 2 million passengers.
The latest move comes as passenger traffic in the United States is expected to reach a record high this year.
Buttigieg said the bipartisan agreement brings together attorneys general from Republican and Democratic states.
It includes 18 states such as California, New York, Nevada and Colorado that have some of the busiest US airports. The DOT said seven more states — Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington — are interested in joining the initiative.
(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
