Department of Transportation tips

The Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that it would fine American Airlines $50 million for “numerous serious violations of the laws” that protect passengers with disabilities. 

The Department of Transportation said Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines can proceed with their $1.9 billion merger after it secured a set of consumer protections from the two carriers.

The Department of Transportation officially launched an inquiry Thursday into whether the loyalty programs of the four largest U.S. airlines have engaged in unfair, deceptive or noncompetitive practices.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the CrowdStrike outage that led it to cancel thousands of flights will cost it $500 million. 

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, July 24, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight may start noticing personalized advertisements whenever they try to watch a movie or TV show on the seat-back screens. 

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill, which will now codify automatic refunds and guaranteed family seating into U.S. law. 

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, May 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

The Senate Commerce Committee is adding language that could codify automatic refunds into law in its Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. 

Just days after the Department of Transportation released a rule requiring airlines to give automatic refunds after flight disruptions, Congress is set to vote on legislation that could impose more hurdles. 

After the Biden administration announced it would crack down on junk fees and require automatic refunds, it was unclear how the rules would be enforced and applied to the airline industry.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said Thursday that certain aspects of a new federal government rule that would require airlines to provide automatic refunds were “gray.”

Senators are calling for a broader investigation into Boeing’s safety and manufacturing practices after a whistleblower alleged issues with the structural integrity of the 787 Dreamliner and 777. 

The Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it would partner with 18 state attorney generals to investigate airline consumer violations.

The Department of Transportation proposed new rules Thursday on how airlines should accommodate passengers who use wheelchairs. 

The White House said Thursday it would allocate nearly $1 billion for airport infrastructure projects as part of an effort to modernize U.S. airports. 

The U.S. travel industry shouldn’t get its hopes up that the newly created assistant secretary of travel and tourism position will make the U.S. more globally competitive, said U.S. Travel CEO and President Geoff Freeman at the Skift Global Forum.

The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) said it planned to seek higher penalties for airlines and others that broke consumer protection rules, saying they were necessary to deter future violations.

The CEO of Southwest Airlines issued a statement to customers with new details about actions the company is taking following the debacle in the last week of December. 

The Department of Transportation (DOT) just reminded everyone that travelers are entitled to a refund (not airline credits) for canceled flights. Why? Because some airlines have recently parted from longstanding U.S. regulations that require those refunds.