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Congress members urge hefty fines for airlines
Members of Congress including Senator Bernie Sanders want to see swift and strong action against airlines for ongoing travel disruption.
It comes as delays are expected to worsen over the July Fourth weekend.
They called on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to penalize airlines and ensure consumers are protected
Senators sent letters to all major airlines and Buttigieg, calling for ‘immediate action’ in fixing scheduling issues before the holidays.
“The American people are sick of airlines ripping them off, canceling flights at the last minute and delaying flights for hours on end,” Sanders tweeted.
Sanders wants airlines to be heavily fined for scheduling flights they know they can’t deliver.
“The top eight airlines alone received nearly $50 billion in taxpayer assistance from the federal government,” Sanders said.
“Given the generous taxpayer support, all of us have a responsibility to make sure that passengers and crew members are treated with respect, not contempt.”
He said Buttigieg should require airlines to refund passengers for flights that are delayed over one hour, require ticket refunds and alternative transport options for long delays.
Airlines should also be hit hard with hefty fines for for scheduling flights that don’t have enough staffing.
Sanders is the chair of the Senate Budget Committee.
During the Memorial Day weekend, airlines canceled nearly 2,000 flights and delayed another 20,000.
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