On Eve Of Year's Busiest Travel Season, U.S. Transportation Department's 'Consumer Protection' Panel Recommends: No New Protections For The Flying Public

NAPA, Calif., Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two pro-consumer groups, FlyersRights.org and Aviation Consumer Action Project, today blasted a newly released report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Advisory Committee on Aviation Consumer Protection for issuing a toothless report that fails to recommend any new regulations or federal legislation to protect US air travelers from abuses.

Paul Hudson, executive director of the Washington-based Aviation Consumer Action Project, said the report is embarrassing. "This so-called 'consumer protection report' to the DOT and the Congress helps dogs, but not passengers," Hudson said. He said the report did not even mention more than 20 reforms recommended by his and other pro-consumer organizations.

The recent report comes as a projected 24 million Americans are preparing to fly on US airlines for the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday. DOT's committee met three times this year and submitted an 8-page report late last month to Congress and to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, whose department appointed the committee to examine ways to better protect air travelers.

Although the committee heard from more than 30 witnesses during meetings in Washington this year, its only firm recommendation so far is that DOT require airports and airlines to provide "animal relief areas" to service animals such as dogs for the blind. "The committee supports making service animal relief areas a priority," the report says on page 5.