The Travel Technology Association reports it welcomed the Senate Commerce Committee’s confirmation hearing of Charlotte Mayor Anthony R. Foxx as the next Secretary of Transportation. Should he be confirmed, some of the earliest and most important issues faced by Mayor Foxx directly affect airline consumers, Travel Tech said.
“We hope that Mayor Foxx’s role as the executive of a large metropolitan city with one of the country’s busiest airline hubs has given him a good understanding of air transportation and the role consumer interests play in a competitive airline sector,” said Chris Chiames, Travel Tech’s chairman. “For years, Charlotte residents have attempted to balance the higher fares and limited competition that characterizes a hub-city with only one dominant carrier.”
The DOT is scheduled to publish a new aviation consumer protection rule as soon as July, with specific provisions relating to enhancing the transparency of new add-on services, such as baggage check and seat assignment charges, Travel Tech said.
On Monday, Open Allies for Airfare Transparency, of which Travel Tech is a member, launched “This Is Your Passenger Speaking”, a grassroots initiative urging the DOT to adopt a straightforward, pro-consumer rule requiring airlines to share core fee information in all the channels through which they sell base airfares.
“Travel Tech looks forward to better understanding how Mayor Foxx will ensure that consumers continue to be able to truly compare the cost of a plane ticket, no matter where she buys her ticket,” said Chiames.
This Is Your Passenger Speaking is an Open Allies for Airfare Transparency campaign, Travel Tech said. Open Allies for Airfare Transparency is a coalition of nearly 400 independent distributors and sellers of air travel, corporate travel departments, travel trade associations and consumer organizations that believe air travelers should be able to see, compare and buy the total price of their airfare.
To learn more about This Is Your Passenger Speaking, visit www.passengerspeaking.com