MEDIA RELEASE

Air travelers will find it easier to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) about airline service, compare the historical on-time and baggage mishandling records of airlines, and find helpful tips about air travel thanks to a redesigned, more user-friendly aviation consumer web site unveiled today by the Department.

The Web site can be found at http://airconsumer.dot.gov

“This updated web site is part of our ongoing effort to improve resources for consumers and ensure that airline passengers are treated fairly when they fly,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “We want to make it as easy as possible for consumers to find the information they need to make their air travel experience as smooth and hassle-free as possible.”

The improved site contains useful information about the Department’s complaint handling system for consumers who experience air travel service problems, including a web form that consumers can use to file a complaint with DOT about airline service.

The site also offers guidance regarding aviation rules and statutes, advice concerning airlines that have stopped operating or filed for bankruptcy protection, and travel tips and publications related to air travel, such as the Air Travel Consumer Report, Fly-Rights and the annual report on disability-related air travel complaints.

It also features easy-to-navigate links to all of the Department’s information for air travelers, as well as links to other agency web sites with useful material for air travelers. The public will also find it easier to obtain enforcement orders, rules and guidance pertaining to a wide array of subjects such as baggage, fare advertising, refunds, overbooking, disability and flight delays.

The website is also available in Spanish.

“It is important that the growing number of Spanish speakers in our nation and flying on U.S. airlines have access to information about their rights as air travelers,” LaHood said.