Airlines say no to laws, pledge self-improvement

WASHINGTON -- Airline officials, responding to legislation that would give passengers greater rights, said Thursday they are moving on their own to improve service and don't need new laws.

Edward Driscoll, president of the National Air Carrier Association, told the House Transportation aviation subcommittee that the legislation will hurt small carriers that lack the resources to meet the requirements of the proposed bills.

Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate, as well as the White House, have introduced "passenger bill of rights" bills that would require airlines to provide their customers more information about delays, bumping and pricing. The Transportation Committee last week heard from passengers with stories of mistreatment and neglect at the hands of airlines. The hearing Thursday gave the airlines a chance to respond. One concern was that they would be penalized for delays and cancellations that are out of their control. Robert Warren, senior vice president of the Air Transport Association of America, also denied that airlines cancel flights with few passengers. "Flights are not canceled because that flight will not turn a profit," he said. Warren, answering complaints about the failure of airlines to keep passengers informed of flight changes, said employees many times are not aware of a changing situation but are trained to provide information to the best of their knowledge. "I expect everyone would rather airlines exercise delays in order to be safe rather than sorry," said Andrew Card, former transportation secretary, who now represents the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A pilot for Northwest Airlines, which was criticized for keeping passengers in planes sitting on runways for hours during a snowstorm in Detroit in January, also pointed to the need for airports to improve their facilities. Capt. Joseph Gilroy said infrastructure improvements are crucial to avoiding a repeat of the problems arising out of the Detroit storm. Warren said airlines have taken the views of Congress into account and have reaffirmed their commitment to customer service. But Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., said the legislation would serve as a wake-up call to airlines needing to operate more efficiently and show more respect for consumers' needs. Separately, an independent federal agency released a report Thursday concluding that people with disabilities still face difficulties when traveling by air and the Transportation Department lacks the clout to enforce existing access rules. "People with disabilities continue to encounter frequent, significant violations of their civil rights," said Marca Bristo, head of the National Council on Disability, at a news conference. The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 was supposed to guarantee the flying rights of the disabled, but the report said the Transportation Department lacks the staff and funds to enforce the law or investigate complaints of discrimination. Appearing at the news conference were a wheelchair-user who said she was refused a wheelchair to go to the restroom during a flight, a visually impaired woman who spoke of her cane being taken away and a deaf man who said he had been given directions written in Braille. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, in a letter to the council, said a passenger rights bill drafted by the administration would make it easier for the disabled to sue airlines over civil rights violations, give the department the authority and resources to pursue civil rights cases and make foreign airlines flying in the United States subject to the 1986 law.

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