Four of the biggest airlines have fallen foul of federal rules and been fined for providing ‘inaccurate information’ for passengers denied boarding or with lost or damaged baggage.
The Department of Transportation fined United, American, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines for not being upfront about compensation claims.
These relate to claims when travelers are involuntarily bumped from an oversold flight, and airlines’ liability when baggage is lost, damaged or delayed.
The carriers were each fined between $35,000 and $45,000 and under notice to ‘cease and desist from future similar violations,’ the DOT said.
"We are committed to ensuring that air travelers know the rules and have accurate information about compensation when they are bumped from flights and for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage," said U.S. transportation secretary Anthony Foxx.
DOT rules state passengers are eligible for some form of compensation when denied a seat on an oversold flight, based on variable factors such as the amended arrival time on an alternate flight.
Carriers must also outline their baggage liability limit with every ticket sold.
During inspections, the DOT said the four airlines ‘failed to provide passengers with the required notices, or provided notices that were incomplete, outdated, or contained inaccurate information.’
