I am a free market person, but only when the free market works. In my opinion, I do not think that the free market is working when it comes to passengers and airlines. I am also a skeptical of government intervention, because the situation typically does not improve … that’s as positive as I can be.
The airline industry is making it difficult for me to be a free market person. What would be ideal would be for the airlines to propose a “Passenger Bill of Rights.” This “Bill of Rights” could even be different from one airline to another. I think that we consumers are smart enough to decide if the “Rights” are important enough for us to decide to fly or not to fly with a particular carrier. But the airlines have not do this, so who is left to give us a “Passenger Bill of Right?” Congress of course. If I were an airline excutive, I would be feverishly developing a “Bill of Rights.” Of course, Congress can not produce one and the courts have ruled early in 2008 that individual states cannot write a “Bill of Right” … this may be a blessing in discuise, but I would like some protections or rights as a passenger that extends beyond what the airlines offer now.
The Senate proposed a bill that would guarantee that passengers have clean water, food, bathrooms, and the ability to get off a plane that is delayed by 3 hours. The House bill proposed that airlines have procedures for addressing passenger complaint, provide information to passengers about delays, publish frequently delayed flight information, publish lowest fares and schedule information, make reasonable efforts to find and return baggages within 24 hrs, and all the Senate rights.
I don’t have a problem with any of the Senate’s or House’s requirements, but don’t the airlines try to do this anyway? I fly often enough to get delayed quite frequently, and I am certain that the airlines and their employees would prefer not to deal with irrate passengers, which I am not one. The airlines could do a much better job of updating passengers about delays, but often the poor gate agent doesn’t know why a flight is delayed. I would like the airlines to have to honor what they promise. For example, what does it mean to be a frequent flyer who has earned elite status, because they are a loyal flyer? What does it mean or is worth to accumulate all of these miles?
Sometimes, the airlines and airport do not honor what I consider to be a contract like elite passengers are supposed to have perks because they have demonstrated loyalty. I can count the airlines and airports that actually provide a reason for being an elite passenger. The airlines can also at any time change the rules for airline miles. Why not lock the airlines into the initial contract that entered. Airline miles are not like credit cards where you are asking for something like credit. Airline miles are something that you have earned. I want “rights” for the things the airlines explictly promise us.
