Member-only story
This is what the election really means for travelers
Can you believe this? It’s six days after the American midterm election and everything still feels so up in the air, to use a travel term. No one knows which party controls the House. Some key races remain undecided or are headed for a runoff.
No red wave, no blue surprise — just uncertainty.
And what about travelers? We have certain interests, which include new legislation that will protect the rights of airline passengers. The government is also eyeing some hotel fees and questionable credit card practices. And there are high fuel costs and inflation, which our elected representatives could certainly help with.
What does an almost evenly divided Congress mean to travelers? Most readers of this newsletter don’t think it will have much effect, but I disagree.
Air travelers’ rights are on the agenda
Congress is about to take up the next Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill, which funds the FAA. Typically, this is where most new airline rules get passed.
Consumer advocates have an ambitious agenda for the FAA bill. One proposed law would terminate federal preemption for the airline industry. That would allow states to regulate some aspects of airline service.
