Statement on the FAA Authorization Bill

The FAA authorization bill, facing a September 30 deadline, includes a provision, section 3129, authorizing the Secretary of Transportation to decide whether fees by the airlines are “unreasonable or disproportionate to the costs incurred.”

Skyrocketing airlines fees total nearly $5 billion a year and are the leading cause of airline passenger complaints to Congress. Members of Congress fly a lot and they are also irritated by airline fees. So why is section 3129 not a shoo-in for passage?  Maybe a survey of all those freebies the airlines bestow upon our Senators and Representatives provides an explanation. On May 1, 2018 we sent a survey to every member of Congress about their views on airline perks reserved for the political class. See: https://nader.org/2018/05/01/letter-to-congress-re-airline-industry-influence/

Not one member of Congress responded to the survey which was sent to them twice. Shouldn’t your Senators and Representatives hear from you, air travelers? Tell the politicians to stop taking these freebies, stop taking airline campaign money and vote for section 3129.