Date: June 2nd 2010

PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release


BTC Applauds U.S. DOT Passenger-Rights NPRM

Corporate travel departments also require complete and timely access to unbundled offerings

Radnor, PA, June 2, 2010 - Business Travel Coalition (BTC) today applauded the direction of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s passenger-rights rulemaking announced today. DOT is proposing a wide range of consumer protections ranging from increasing compensation for passengers involuntarily bumped from flights, allowing passengers to make and cancel reservations within 24 hours without penalty, requiring full and prominently displayed disclosure of baggage fees as well as refunds and expense reimbursement when bags are not delivered on time, requiring fair price advertising, prohibiting price increases after a ticket is purchased and mandating timely notice of flight status changes.

“DOT Secretary LaHood continues his aggressive efforts on behalf of consumers in supreme style. His proposal is comprehensive and timely and represents smart regulation. The Cornell University website (regulationroom.org) for consumers to weigh in on DOT’s proposal reinforces the Secretary’s belief in participatory rulemaking,” said BTC Chairman Kevin Mitchell. “We urge the Secretary to clarify and affirm that Section 399.85 of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking requires that all unbundled fare information be shared with global distribution systems and travel management companies such that corporate travel departments will be assured that they have timely and transparent access to unbundled offerings at the same time as they are made available on airlines’ websites.”

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CONTACT

BTC || Kevin Mitchell | 610-341-1850 | mitchell@BusinessTravelCoalition.com

About BTC
Founded in 1994, the mission of Business Travel Coalition is to bring transparency to industry and government policies and practices so that customers can influence issues of strategic importance to their organizations.




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