Spirit Airlines Strikes Again - Passengers Abandoned

/PRNewswire/ -- FlyersRights.org, the nation's foremost airline passenger advocacy group, today called upon Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza to keep his promise to secure safe passage for passengers stranded by the airline's ongoing pilot strike. On June 9th, just before Sprit Airlines pilots walked off the job, Spirit spokeswoman Missy Pinson told The Associated Press that the carrier was "partnering with other air carrier providers to continue to serve our customers" and would provide a $100 voucher in addition to free passage home. So far these claims have proven to be false.

"Despite its claims and promises, Spirit appears to have no intention to care for its customers in light of the strike and has no plan in place to address stranded passengers across the globe--who are now forced to fend for themselves," said FlyersRights.org Executive Director, Kate Hanni. "Tickets issued by Spirit are without value on other airlines and Spirit is depriving passengers of information on how they will care for them thereby perpetrating a global fraud upon its customers."

Although Baldanza promised to reroute passengers on other carriers and to refund passengers' money, FlyersRights.org is receiving hotline calls telling a very different story. One mother called to say that her daughter and a friend are stranded in Aruba. The family was assured before the trip that Spirit would not strand the girls, but they have now told them to buy their own tickets, and they will be reimbursed later. Or, they can come back in a week for a booking on Spirit. The girls' credit cards and cell phones do not work in Aruba, and they have no cash even for food. Spirit officials in Aruba confirmed that Spirit has no agreements with any other airline.

FlyersRights.org Executive Director Kate Hanni also noted that she and her entire membership would be calling upon the Congress, the Secretary of Transportation and the Justice Department to investigate Spirit as a result of its apparent fraud upon flying public. FlyersRights.org has also published information for stranded passengers to use.

In response to the crisis FlyersRights.org recommends the following to stranded Spirit passengers:

1. If you have not received a refund and the promised $100.00 voucher, call your credit card immediately and challenge the charge.

2. File a claim in small claims court for all expenses related to being stranded and/or pre-pays for trips not taken.

3. File a complaint with the DOT, who can assist you with remedies.

4. Do NOT fly Spirit Airlines. Low cost air carriers, in general, will do NOTHING for you in the event of any irregular operation, even their own operations.

5. If you are stranded by Spirit please contact FlyersRights.org via our website.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

FAA OKs Four More Portable Oxygen Concentrators

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today that passengers needing medical oxygen now have the option of using four additional portable oxygen concentrators while traveling, bringing the total number of approved units to 11.

The newly authorized devices are DeVilbiss Healthcare’s iGo, International Biophysics Corporation’s LifeChoice, Inogen’s Inogen One G2 and Oxlife’s Independence Oxygen Concentrator.

“This is our latest step toward making air travel more accessible for people who need medical oxygen,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “We want these passengers to have as many options as possible while ensuring all of our safety guidelines are being met.”

Portable oxygen concentrators are small, portable devices that separate oxygen from nitrogen and other gases in the air and provide oxygen to users at greater than 90 percent concentration. They do not use compressed or liquid oxygen, which the government classifies as hazardous material.

The Department of Transportation requires that U.S. carriers allow passengers to use portable oxygen concentrators approved by the FAA during all phases of a flight – including taxiing, takeoff and landing – if the unit displays a manufacturer’s label that indicates it meets FAA requirements for portable medical electronic devices, is properly stowed, and meets certain other applicable safety-related conditions.

For example, passengers must ensure the unit is in good working order and must be able to respond to the unit’s warning alarms. They must protect extra batteries in carry-on baggage from short circuits and physical damage. Carriers also must let passengers operate these FAA-approved concentrators while moving about the cabin whenever the captain turns off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign.

Carriers can legally refuse to allow inflight use of an FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator that does not have a manufacturer’s label indicating that the device complies with FAA requirements. However, the Department encourages airlines to voluntarily allow the inflight use of such devices. Inflight use of an FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator, whether labeled or not, poses no safety danger so long as carriage of the device is in accordance with instructions provided by the FAA.

The FAA previously approved these portable oxygen concentrators for use:

* Delphi Medical Systems RS-00400
* Invacare XPO2
* AirSep Lifestyle
* AirSep Freestyle
* Inogen One
* SeQual Eclipse
* Respironics EverGo

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage

Air Transport Association Expects 2.5 Percent Decline in Air Travelers Over 21-Day Winter Holiday Period

/PRNewswire/ -- The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, announced today that it expects 41 million passengers(1) to travel over the upcoming winter holidays(2) on U.S. carriers, representing a 2.5 percent year-over-year decline from the 42 million passengers(1) estimated to have flown during the same period in 2008.(3)

The three busiest travel days during this holiday period are expected to be Sunday, Dec. 27, Monday, Dec. 28 and Tuesday, Dec. 29, respectively, based on sample data from the 2008 winter holiday period.

"We are continuing to see fewer air travelers over the holidays, a trend that has been apparent throughout 2009," said ATA President and CEO James C. May. "Capacity reductions will likely mean fuller flights on many days." May added that the decline continues to be driven by a fragile economy and depressed global demand for travel.

ATA is expecting the federal government, once again, to open up Special Activity Airspace (SAS) on an as-needed basis to help ease congestion. SAS was also made available over the Thanksgiving holiday.

May encouraged passengers to pack light, to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, and to remember to arrive early to allow plenty of time for check-in and security screening.

In addition, ATA encourages passengers to consult its resource page for recommended travel tips. In particular, passengers are encouraged to keep in mind the following:

-- It is strongly recommended that all passengers review the Web site of
the airline on which they are flying for respective policies,
amenities, customer service plans and flight-operation alert
notifications.
-- Pack any gifts unwrapped, as they may need to be inspected by
security. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is also
providing additional Helpful Hints for Holiday Travelers online.
-- Remember that TSA requires that air travelers follow its 3-1-1 Rule
for liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on bags when passing through
security checkpoints.
-- Passengers should be aware that they could be asked to provide their
date of birth and gender when making a reservation, as part of the TSA
Secure Flight program. Travelers should expect no change in the travel
experience, however, as part of this security initiative.


ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For additional information about the industry, visit www.airlines.org.

(1) The total number of revenue passengers boarding aircraft in scheduled service.

(2) Defined as the 21 days spanning Thurs., Dec. 17, 2009 through Wed., Jan. 6, 2010.

(3) There is no source of industrywide traffic statistics for less than one month, so historical data for holiday travel periods must be estimated.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

European Courts Grant Historic New Law for Airline Passengers Rights: Will U.S. Ever Follow?

/PRNewswire/ -- Flyersrights.org and its President, Kate Hanni, applaud the decision handed down in a European court today which will require airlines in the European Union to compensate victims of mass delays for which they are responsible. Those who are forced to wait three hours or more will be compensated 600 Euros, the same as if their flight had been cancelled. But the airlines will be required NOT to cancel the flight unless it fits strict criteria as set down in this historic new law.

The decision, handed down by the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, "is an important step forward," according to Hanni, "in creating a legal acknowledgment that the rights of victims, abused and ignored by the big airlines for far too long, will be given priority over the bloodless corporations that have simply taken it for granted that they engage in any behavior, no matter how injurious it is to consumers, without fearing repercussion. Imagine being stuffed like a sardine in a hot metal tube, without working toilets, food or water or access to medicines for over three hours, with no rights?"

Hendrik Noorderhaven EU Claim, FlyersRights.org EU counterpart and Global Partner said "This is a Historic decision for airline passengers in the EU, and in particular, any passengers traveling to the EU who suffer through anything greater than a 3 hour delay. They will now be reimbursed for this suffering with cash."

Hanni took it a step further, questioning why the United States has not yet taken similar measures to protect its citizens from this kind of corporate abuse.

"Sadly, the U.S. is woefully behind in prioritizing the rights of its consumers. Why hasn't Congress passed the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights, created in bipartisan fashion by Senators Barbara Boxer and Olympia Snowe, inserting it into the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009? Why can I still be held hostage on a tarmac for 9 hours without any rights? The time to sit idly by and allow big airlines to treat their passengers like jet fuel is long past. We deserve nothing less in the Unites States than the very same rights the courts have just granted to consumers living in democracies across the European continent."

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

TSA's Secure Flight Begins Vetting Passengers

/PRNewswire / -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today the implementation of the Secure Flight program, which shifts pre-departure watch list matching responsibilities from individual aircraft operators to TSA and carries out a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. To date TSA has assumed the watch list matching responsibility for passengers on domestic commercial flights with four volunteer aircraft operators and will add more carriers in the coming months.

"The implementation of Secure Flight is a critical step towards mitigating threats we know exist in our aviation system," said TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides. "Secure Flight improves security and protects passenger privacy and civil liberties by ensuring the confidentiality of government watch list matching protocols."

Under Secure Flight, airlines will gather a passenger's full name, date of birth, and gender when making an airline reservation to determine if the passenger is a match to the No Fly or Selectee lists. By providing the additional data elements of gender and date of birth, Secure Flight will more effectively help prevent misidentification of passengers who have similar names to individuals on the watch list.

In addition to addressing misidentification, Secure Flight protects sensitive watch list data and enables officials to address security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and consistent matching process across all airlines.

TSA continues to provide a robust redress process through the Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) (www.dhs.gov/trip), a single portal for travelers to seek redress for adverse screening experiences and resolve possible watch list misidentification issues. Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its watch list matching process to prevent future misidentification of passengers who may have a name that's similar to an individual on the watch list.

The second stage of implementation, which is expected to begin in late 2009, will assume the watch list matching function for passengers on international flights from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and international air carriers.

TSA's goal is to vet 100 percent of all domestic commercial flights by early 2010 and 100 percent of all international commercials flights by the end of 2010.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page