The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General is seeking public input on how airlines are accommodating the needs of air travelers with disabilities and special needs.
The Department’s Office of Inspector General has been given specific legal authority under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (Public Law 106- 181) to review airline customer service. Each air carrier that provides scheduled passenger air transportation and is a member of the Air Transport Association has developed individual Customer Service Plans for matters such as canceled or delayed flights, on-time baggage delivery, ticket refunds, and accommodating the needs of air travelers with special needs or disabilities. The Inspector General is evaluating how each air carrier is meeting its commitments and recently issued an interim report available for review on the Inspector General’s web site at http://www.oig.dot.gov. The Inspector General will issue a final report later this year.
In addition to comments pertaining to the treatment of passengers with disabilities or special needs, the Inspector General is still seeking input from the flying public on airlines’ practices of overbooking flights, providing consumers access to lowest airfares, and long delays on board aircraft.
Electronic forms are now available on the Inspector General’s web site. Hard copies may be obtained by fax or mail by calling toll-free (800) 884-9190, or from the Washington, D.C. area, (202) 366-2373. People who have airline-related service issues or complaints other than those being reviewed by the Inspector General may obtain information on contacting the Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division at http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer.