[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3762]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 AIRLINE PASSENGER FAIRNESS ACT OF 1999

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to voice my strong 
support for the Airline Passenger Fairness Act. I commend Senators 
Wyden and McCain for bringing this crucial consumer issue before the 
Senate in a bipartisan manner. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this 
bill.
  Mr. President, I'm sure that each and every one of us in this body 
has experienced his or her fair share of frustration with air travel. 
Whether it's late flights, bad meals, long lines, or lost luggage, 
we've all gotten the short end of the stick at one point or another.
  When it comes to air travel, we are all consumers. And this bill 
assures the protection of consumer interests. The Airline Passenger 
Fairness Act would ensure that passengers have the information that 
they need to make informed choices in their air travel plans. Given the 
recent spate of airlines' customer relations debacles, I hope this bill 
will also encourage some of them to treat their customers with more 
respect.
  Mr. President, financial statements and the stock market don't lie. 
Most airlines have been experiencing years of exploding growth and 
record profits. Unfortunately, some employees and consumers have not 
shared in the boom. While this bill doesn't address all consumer 
concerns, it does move us forward in a constructive manner.
  Mr. President, it's probably about time air travelers' interests 
received our attention. According to the Department of Transportation, 
consumer complaints about air travel shot up by more than 25 percent 
last year. Those complaints run the gamut from ephemeral ticket 
pricing; being sold a ticket on already oversold flights; lost luggage; 
and flight delays, changes, and cancellations. This bill addresses 
these issues and more.
  Perhaps of more importance, this bill does so without forcing 
airlines to compile information that they don't already keep. The bill 
simply allows air travelers the right to that basic information and the 
ability to make informed decisions.
  Mr. President, I am fortunate to represent and be a customer of the 
nation's premier airline when it comes to customer satisfaction. For 
years, Midwest Express Airlines has enjoyed some of the highest airline 
customer satisfaction ratings in the country. For those of my 
colleagues who haven't had the pleasure to ride on Midwest Express, I, 
and I'm sure I speak for the senior Senator from Wisconsin, encourage 
you to do so.
  Mr. President, Midwest Express maintains those superlative ratings 
because it already incorporates some of the provisions spelled out in 
this bill. Midwest Express already tries to notify its travelers if it 
anticipates a flight delay, flight change, or flight cancellation. The 
airline already attempts to make information on oversold flights 
available to its customers. Midwest Express already makes efforts to 
allow its customers access to frequent flyer program information.
  These are some of the reasons the airline has been awarded the 
Consumer Reports Travel Letter Best Airline Award every year from 1992 
to 1998; Zagat Airline Survey's #1 Domestic Airline award in 1994 and 
1996; Travel & Leisure's World's Best Awards for Best Domestic Airline 
in 1997 and 1998; and Conde Nast Traveler's Business Travel Awards for 
Best U.S. Airline in 1998, among many awards.
  Mr. President, other airlines should see this bill as a challenge to 
meet the lofty standards set by airlines like Midwest Express.
  Mr. President, air travel is on the rise, but so are air travel 
complaints. This bill responds to the complaints by giving our 
constituents access to the information they need to make wise choices 
in air travel. Airlines truly concerned about their customers should 
already be making these efforts. As I noted, one Wisconsin-based 
airline is already making the effort. I urge my colleagues to join in 
this effort.

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