Biden's Travel Impact tips

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued American Airlines a landmark $50 million penalty for the airline’s mistreatment of disabled travelers and their mobility aids between 2019 and 2023. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) final rule on automatic airline refunds went into effect on Monday, which is a big win for travelers but a change that could produce quite a bit of confusion.

Could the summer air travel season be impacted by a potential Congressional amendment?

The U.S. government's agreement on a final bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presents a mixed bag for travel agencies and advisors across the country, according to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).The organization was successful in its efforts to secure a provision that streamlines offline disclosures surrounding air travel and establish the Passenger Experience Advisory Committee within the Department of Transportation (DOT) to advise the Secretary and the FAA Administrator on improving the passenger experience in air transportation customer service."This will reduce frustration with the air ticket purchase process and lessen the unnecessary burdens on our members' business operations while keeping critical consumer protection intact," said ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby about the offline disclosure victory.However, ASTA expressed frustration with DOT's new airfare refund rules that could negatively impact agencies by leaving them on the hook to issue a refund as the "merchant of record" even if they've already passed the funds over to the airline."We were thankful when the House originally recognized this important distinction. Unfortunately, the final compromise between the House and Senate kicks this issue back to a DOT that has shown a clear lack of understanding of how travel agencies book air travel," added Kerby.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is encouraging the hospitality industry to support the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act today with an industry-wide Tax Day of Action to prompt the Senate to support the bill. 

The number of air travel complaints filed with the U.S. Transportation Department soared during the first quarter of 2023 through to May, 2023, according to newly published data by the department.