Press Releases
04/16/2024
Attorney General Tong Announces Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with U.S. Department of Transportation
(Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong announced a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation to review and resolve consumer complaints against airlines and ticket agents. The agreement strengthens and streamlines how the Office of the Attorney General and DOT will work together to review consumer complaints and identify violations of federal aviation consumer protection requirements.The new process for addressing consumer complaints against air travel companies, outlined in a memorandum of understanding between the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General and the DOT, reinforces state and federal commitments to protect the rights of the travelers. Connecticut is one of 25 states or territories that either signed an MOU with the DOT or expressed an interest in executing such an agreement. This action comes at a time when complaints about flight disruptions, lack of refunds, and lost or delayed baggage continue to be core passenger concerns.
Attorney General Tong praised the new coordinated effort that will provide better protection to millions of U.S. airline passengers.
“This agreement is a powerful breakthrough that bolsters the Office of the Attorney General’s authority to fight for refunds and relief for consumers wronged by airlines. Over the past few years, my office alone has received hundreds of consumer complaints regarding cancelled or delayed flights, denied refunds, lost luggage, and inadequate customer service. We’ve successfully secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in refunds and relief, but in far too many instances, airlines have tried to hide behind federal preemption to dismiss our inquiries. We’ve fought for years to change the law to allow attorneys general to handle these consumer complaints. This agreement explicitly authorizes attorneys general to participate in the enforcement of federal airline consumer protection laws, enhancing our ability to effectively fight for airline passengers,” said Attorney General Tong.
“We take our mission to protect consumers seriously, and today's launch of the Airline Passenger Protection Partnership is an important milestone in that effort,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “By partnering with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general, the U.S. Department of Transportation has expanded our ability to hold airlines and ticket agents accountable and protect passengers from unfair or deceptive practices.”
Federal law places the central responsibility for protecting airline consumers with the DOT. Under this historic agreement, the Office of the Attorney General will be authorized to investigate consumer complaints against air carriers, ticket agents, and other air travel companies supervised by the DOT. The Office of the Attorney General will work with consumers and companies to resolve complaints, and if necessary, will refer complaints to the DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP). The OACP will prioritize their review, include Office of the Attorney General staff on letters of inquiry to those companies based on those referrals, and consult with the Office of the Attorney General before determining next steps.
The DOT will also provide technical assistance and training to staff in the Office of the Attorney General and will meet at least once a year with the Office of the Attorney General to assess ongoing efforts and to update Connecticut on any actions taken in response to state-referred complaints.
The MOU will last for two years, and Connecticut and the DOT may agree to extend it at two-year intervals after the agreement ends.
Attorney General Tong has urged the federal government to strengthen protections for airline passengers and asked Congress to authorize state attorneys general enforcement of federal consumer protection laws governing the airline industry.
Others that have signed an MOU with the DOT include the attorneys general from California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wisconsin.
Those that have expressed an interest in executing such an agreement with DOT include the attorneys general from Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.
Connecticut consumers in need of assistance may file complaints with the Office of the Attorney General online at ct.gov/agcomplaints.
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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
Consumer Inquiries:
860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov