Transportation-Consumer Affairs (20.900)

Program

20.900 Transportation-Consumer Affairs

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Transportation
Office: Office of the Secretary (OST) Administration Secretariate

Authorization

Federal Aviation Act of 1958, Section 1002, Public Law 85-726, 49 U.S.C 1301, as amended by Federal Aviation Act of 1958, Section 204, Public Law 95-504.

Program Number

20.900

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To improve service provided to the public by U.S. and foreign air carriers.

Types of Assistance

INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

The Aviation Consumer Protection Division provides assistance and information to consumers, including air travelers with disabilities, trying to resolve complaints against airlines, travel agents, and air tour operators. The Division also investigates alleged violations of airline passengers' civil rights and provides information about specific air travel service problems such as lost baggage, oversold flights, scheduling problems and overcharges, and may refer people to local Small Claims courts if informal mediation efforts fail.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

All users of air transportation.

Beneficiary Eligibility

All users of air transportation.

Credentials/Documentation

No Credentials or documentation are required. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. The Division requests that complainants first contact the airline in an attempt to resolve the complaint. If that is unsuccessful, they can call or email the Division or send a letter stating pertinent facts about the incident that caused the complaint as well as copies (never originals) of tickets or baggage tags, if these documents help to explain the nature of the problem. Please include with your letter of complaint a daytime telephone number.

Award Procedure

None.

Deadlines

Not Applicable.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Not Applicable.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Not Applicable. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Not Applicable.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Audits

No audits are required for this program.

Records

None.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: For calendar year 2007 the total number of consumer complaints, information requests, opinions and compliments received totaled 16,072. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

69-0102-0-1-407.

Obligations

(Investigation of Complaints) FY 08 $2,046,430; FY 09 est $0; FY 10 est $0

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Not Applicable.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Copies of the pamphlet "Fly-Rights, A Guide to Air Travel in the U.S." are available from the Consumer Information Center-6A, P.O. Box 100, Pueblo, CO 81002. Enclose check or money order payable to Superintendent of Documents in the amount of $1.75 per copy with a 25 percent discount on orders of 100 copies or more. Copies of the "Air Travel Consumer Report" issued monthly and "Plane Talk", a series of air travel fact sheets, are available free of charge by writing to the headquarters office listed. These publications can also be found on the Department of Transportation's world wide web site at: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov.

Related Programs

33.001 Shipping_Dispute Resolution and Investigation of Complaints

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Alaska Aviation Statistics Field Office, Department of Transportation, 801 B Street Room 506, Anchorage, AK 99501-23657. Telephone: (907) 271-5147.

Headquarters Office

Norman Strickman 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, District of Columbia 20590 Email: norman.strickman@dot.gov Phone: (202) 366-2220

Web Site Address

http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Not Applicable.