New Air New Air Travel Rules.Travel Rules.

The United States Department of The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has Transportation (DOT) has implemented new air travel implemented new air travel regulations that will affect Travel regulations that will affect Travel Agents, Air Carriers and Tour Agents, Air Carriers and Tour operators effective January 24 operators effective January 24 and January 26, 2012.and January 26, 2012.

What’s the effect?What’s the effect?

The new regulations in effect will help ensure The new regulations in effect will help ensure that consumers are treated fairly when they that consumers are treated fairly when they travel by air.travel by air.

Travelers shopping for air travel will no longer Travelers shopping for air travel will no longer have to click through multiple web pages to have to click through multiple web pages to find out what their airfare will truly cost.find out what their airfare will truly cost.

Rules also prohibit any provider of travel Rules also prohibit any provider of travel (airline, tour operator or travel agent) from (airline, tour operator or travel agent) from increasing pricing unless increasing pricing unless approved by traveler in writing.

The RulesThe Rules

DOT rules require any advertising that DOT rules require any advertising that includes a price for air transportation to includes a price for air transportation to state the full price to be paid by the state the full price to be paid by the consumer, including all carrier-imposed consumer, including all carrier-imposed surcharges. surcharges.

The only exception currently allowed is The only exception currently allowed is government-imposed taxes and fees. government-imposed taxes and fees. These fees must be disclosed in the These fees must be disclosed in the advertisement through a prominent link advertisement through a prominent link next to the fare stating that these fees will next to the fare stating that these fees will be extra. be extra.

ContinuedContinued

This rule applies to purchased airline This rule applies to purchased airline tickets, air and land packages and air and tickets, air and land packages and air and cruise packages for travel to, from and cruise packages for travel to, from and within the United States.within the United States.

Airlines and ticket agents must also Airlines and ticket agents must also disclose all baggage fees to consumers.disclose all baggage fees to consumers.

For your CustomersFor your Customers

Consumers will be able to hold a reservation Consumers will be able to hold a reservation without payment or cancel a booking without without payment or cancel a booking without penalty within 24 hours of booking the penalty within 24 hours of booking the reservation. As long as the reservation is reservation. As long as the reservation is made at least one week or more of the flight made at least one week or more of the flight departure date.departure date.

Agents, airlines and tour operators are Agents, airlines and tour operators are prohibited from adding products prohibited from adding products automaticallyautomatically to the purchase. I.e. Insurance. to the purchase. I.e. Insurance.

More for your CustomerMore for your Customer

Your client must opt in to purchase Your client must opt in to purchase additional products.additional products.

Once a consumer purchases a ticket, the Once a consumer purchases a ticket, the airline can not increase the price of fees airline can not increase the price of fees for baggage or fuel surcharges even if for baggage or fuel surcharges even if these items are purchased or increased at these items are purchased or increased at a later date.a later date.

The fees and baggage allowances will The fees and baggage allowances will apply for the consumers entire trip. apply for the consumers entire trip.

Traveler NotificationTraveler Notification

Airlines will also be required to notify Airlines will also be required to notify passengers of flight delays over 30 passengers of flight delays over 30 minutes, as well as flight cancellations and minutes, as well as flight cancellations and diversions.diversions.

Important to you as the AgentImportant to you as the Agent

Agents also can no longer add optional Agents also can no longer add optional products in the prices presented to products in the prices presented to consumers.consumers.

Insurance and upgrades can only be Insurance and upgrades can only be added in the price if the consumer asks for added in the price if the consumer asks for these additional products. these additional products.

DOTDOT

These new requirements are the final These new requirements are the final provisions from the DOT’s most recent provisions from the DOT’s most recent airline consumer rule that went into effect airline consumer rule that went into effect in August of 2011 and fully implemented in August of 2011 and fully implemented January 26, 2012.January 26, 2012.

This also includes the requirement that This also includes the requirement that airlines refund baggage fees if a clients airlines refund baggage fees if a clients baggage is lost.baggage is lost.

AirlinesAirlines

Also implemented in August, airlines must Also implemented in August, airlines must provide increased compensation to provide increased compensation to passengers bumped from flights that are passengers bumped from flights that are oversold.oversold.

The DOT has set a 4 hour limit on tarmac The DOT has set a 4 hour limit on tarmac delays for international flights and 3 hour delays for international flights and 3 hour limit for domestic flights.limit for domestic flights.

A Quick Recap

DOT has implemented new air travel DOT has implemented new air travel regulations that will affect.regulations that will affect.

New regulations in effect will help New regulations in effect will help ensure that consumers are treated ensure that consumers are treated fairly when they travel by air.fairly when they travel by air.

Travelers will no longer have to click Travelers will no longer have to click through multiple web pages to find through multiple web pages to find out what their airfare will truly cost.out what their airfare will truly cost.

Recap

DOT rules require any advertising that DOT rules require any advertising that includes a price for air transportation to includes a price for air transportation to state the full price to be paid by the state the full price to be paid by the consumer, including all carrier-imposed consumer, including all carrier-imposed surcharges. surcharges.

The only exception currently allowed is The only exception currently allowed is government-imposed taxes and fees. government-imposed taxes and fees. These fees must be disclosed in the These fees must be disclosed in the advertisement through a prominent link advertisement through a prominent link next to the fare stating that these fees will next to the fare stating that these fees will be extra. be extra.