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Senator Hassan Presses Airline Industry Representatives on Importance of Passing TICKETS Act

Senator Hassan Presses Airline Industry Representatives on Importance of Passing TICKETS Act

Executive Director of National Consumers League on TICKETS Act: "We think it's a great bill"


Click here for video of Senator Hassan's questioning.

WASHINGTON - Today, in a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security hearing, Senator Maggie Hassan pressed airline industry representatives on the importance of passing key consumer protections in the Transparency, Improvements, and Compensation to Keep Every Ticketholder Safe (TICKETS) Act. Passing these provisions would improve conditions for the flying public and to help prevent future incidents like the one that occurred on United Flight 3411.

The TICKETS Act will guarantee that a boarded passenger has the right to fly, address compensation limits for ticket-holding travelers, improve transparency, review ticket over-selling practices, and require flight crews seeking accommodations to provide more advanced notice.

"We all agree that the recent incident in which United forcibly removed a passenger from the aircraft was unacceptable, and so what I think a lot of us are trying to do is now turn to next steps...that is why I introduced, along with some of my colleagues, the TICKETS Act," Senator Hassan said at the hearing. "I'm glad that United has made voluntary measures... it sends a nice message, but it's not the same thing as a guarantee.... I believe that consumers deserve to fly safely and comfortably, particularly at a time when the industry is earning record profits."

Consumer advocate, Sally Greenberg of the Nationals Consumer League, agreed with Senator Hassan on the importance of passing the TICKETS Act and strengthening consumer protections for the flying public. She said, "We support the TICKETS Act and think it offers a lot of very positive benefits to consumers... We think it's a great bill."

Representatives from the airline industry, including President Scott Kirby of United Airlines, pledged to work with Senator Hassan on moving the TICKETS Act forward.

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