With disrupted holiday plans, canceled flights (often after lengthy delays), and lost luggage, it was rough on many of us.
First, for those travelers who were impacted by these events, I am fighting for you. The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has stated that Southwest Airlines will be expected to make all consumers whole. For those of you, your friends, and your families looking for guidance on how federal airline consumer protection law works, here’s a helpful article.
In short, if you were affected by this meltdown, you should first follow up with Southwest. If you don’t get a speedy resolution of your issue, then you should file a complaint with the U.S. DOT and also let our office know about what happened to you. You can contact us through stopfraudColorado.gov. We will stay on top of this situation and fight for Colorado consumers to ensure they are treated fairly and their rights under the law are honored.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated situation. During the pandemic, when flights were canceled or people could not fly, Frontier Airlines did not provide the credits consumers were entitled to under federal law. That's not right. After hearing your complaints, we went to work and stayed on the case. Finally, over two years later, the U.S. DOT mandated that everyone mistreated by Frontier must be made whole and provided usable credits or a refund, as explained in this article. If you know of someone who has yet to get the credits they are owed from Frontier, please have them contact our office.
I have been raising warnings to the federal government for years that the airline industry needs greater oversight. I will continue to push Congress to empower State AGs to enforce consumer protection laws to protect airline travelers. Moreover, the U.S. DOT also needs to improve the rules it uses to protect travelers. Finally, we will continue to be vigilant about fighting for competition and against undue consolation in this industry. I am working hard on all of these fronts.
