GBTA’s Legislative Summit Addresses Passenger Bill of Rights

GBTA Executive Director and COO Mike McCormick kicked off the 15^th Annual GBTA Legislative Summit, an event that brings more than 100 travel professionals to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers to share opinions on key issues. McCormick discussed the importance of passenger rights in light of recent events with United Airlines and American Airlines.

In discussing the issues regarding passenger rights, McCormick pointed to GBTA’ Rules of the Road, introduced last year at the GBTA Legislative Summit. GBTA developed these Rules of the Road in order to make the global travel systems safer, more secure, and more reliable and a better place to conduct and facilitate business.

Prior to the event, GBTA conducted a lightning poll survey of a group of its buyer members:

• 64 percent felt that the “Passenger Bill of Rights” does not adequately protect the business traveler.
• 69 percent felt that the federal government, meaning the Department of Transportation or the Federal Trade Commission should conduct a review of the Contracts of Carriage for the airlines.
• 69 percent also felt that the compensation cap for “involuntary bumping” should be increased.

McCormick then opened the discussion up to members who discussed the pros and cons of industry consolidation, the importance of customer service and whether the industry would prefer self-regulation over government regulations. The audience applauded the idea that the entire flying experience could be much more efficient for both the traveler and the travel provider.