April 10, 1992
We would like to call your attention to several consumer-related issues concerning the new fare structure recently announced by American. American's April 10 newspaper advertisement states that all tickets will be subject to a penalty of $25 if the passenger wishes to change his or her routing.In addition, First Class and full-fare coach tickets will incur a $25 penalty if the passenger wishes to cancel and obtain a refund.Since First Class and full-fare coach tickets have generally not been subject to penalties in the past, we would like to remind you of the requirements of 14 CFR 253.7 of our regulations.This section states:
A passenger shall not be bound by any terms restricting refunds of the ticket price [or] imposing monetary penalties on passengers . . . unless the passenger receives conspicuous written notice of the salient features of those terms on or with the ticket.
We would expect that this new $25 charge will be disclosed on or with all tickets that are subject to the charge, including First Class and full-fare coach tickets.
We are anticipating that the $25 penalties on First Class and full-fare coach tickets will result in fewer no-shows.If you agree, we would appreciate it if you would advise us whether American plans to adjust the level to which flights are overbooked in order to reflect this.
To the extent that so-called "bereavement" or "compassion" fares are discontinued, this will affect a small but sensitive group of people.Please confirm to us that all references to such programs have been revised, so that reservationists and travel agents do not unwittingly provide outdated information to callers asking about such fares.
We would assume that you will honor any tickets already issued for discount fares that are lower than the lowest new fare now in that market. Similarly, we anticipate that previously-issued First Class and full-fare coach tickets will not be subject to the new $25 penalty. If this is not the case, please provide us with your justification.
I look forward to hearing from you.If you have any questions, please call us at (202) 366-5957. I will be out of town on April 13 and 14, but Mr. Norman Strickman will be able to assist you or your staff on those days. Mr. Strickman is chief of the Consumer Affairs Division.
Sincerely,
Hoyte B. Decker, Jr.
Assistant Director for Consumer Affairs
Office of Intergovernmental and Consumer Affairs
|
name |
title |
company |
address |
moreaddress |
city |
state |
zip |
salutation |
|
Mr. Geoffrey T. Crowley |
President & CEO |
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp. |
W6390 Challenger Dr., Suite 203 |
|
Appleton |
WI |
54915 |
Mr. Crowley |
|
Mr. Robert Swenson |
President |
AirTran Airways, Inc. |
6280 Hazeltine National Dr. |
Suite 100 |
Orlando |
FL |
32822 |
Mr. Swenson |
|
Mr. Izad Djahanshahi |
President |
Airways International |
P.O. Box 1244 |
|
Miami Springs |
FL |
33266-1244 |
Mr. Djahanshahi |
|
Mr. Steven G. Hamilton |
V P-Legal and General Counsel |
Alaska Airlines, Inc. |
|
P.O. Box 68900 |
Seattle |
WA |
98168 |
Mr. Hamilton |
|
Mr. Glenn R. Zander |
President & CEO |
Aloha Airlines, Inc. |
PO Box 30028 |
|
Honolulu |
HI |
96820 |
Mr. Zander |
|
Mr. Martin J. Whalen |
Sr Vice President and General Counsel |
America West Airlines, Inc. |
4000 East Sky Harbor Blvd. |
|
Phoenix |
AZ |
85034 |
Mr. Whalen |
|
Ms. Anne H. McNamara |
Sr V P-Administration & General Counsel |
American Airlines, Inc. |
Mail Drop 5618 |
Post Office Box 619616 |
DFW Airport |
TX |
75261-9616 |
Ms. McNamara |
|
Mr. J. George Mikelsons |
Chairman & CEO |
American Trans Air, Inc. |
7337 W. Washington St. |
|
Indianapolis |
IN |
46231 |
Mr. Mikelsons |
|
Mr. Jonathan Batchelor |
President |
Arrow Air, Inc. |
Box 026062 |
Miami International Airport |
Miami |
FL |
33103 |
Mr. Batchelor |
|
Ms. Cheryl Grue |
President |
AV Atlantic |
1170 Lee Wagener Blvd., Suite 201 |
|
Ft. Lauderdale |
FL |
33315 |
Ms. Grue |
|
Mr. John Catsimatidis |
President |
Capitol Air Express, Inc. |
823 Eleventh Ave. |
|
New York |
NY |
10019 |
Mr. Catsimatidis |
|
Mr. Daniel Ratti |
President |
Carnival Air Lines, Inc. |
1815 Griffin Road, Suite 205 |
|
Dania |
FL |
33004 |
Mr. Ratti |
|
Mr. Tod McClaskey |
President |
Casino Express Airlines |
JC Harris Field |
803 Murray Way |
Elko |
NV |
89801 |
Mr. McClaskey |
|
Mr. Jeffery Smisek |
Vice President and General Counsel |
Continental Airlines |
2929 Allen Parkway, Suite 2010 |
|
Houston |
TX |
77019 |
Mr. Smisek |
|
Mr. Robert S. Harkey |
Sr V P, GeneralCounsel, and Secretary |
Delta Airlines, Inc. |
|
Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport |
Atlanta |
GA |
30320 |
Mr. Harkey |
|
Mr. Donald Rhoads |
General Manager |
Eagle Airlines |
175 East Reno Ave., Suite C9 |
|
Las Vegas |
NV |
89119 |
Mr. Rhoads |
|
Mr. Steven Davis |
VP-Operations, Inc. |
Eastwind Airlines |
Trenton-Mercer Airport |
Building 1 Scotch Rd. |
W. Trenton |
NJ |
08628 |
Mr. Davis |
|
Mr. Mel Spelde |
President |
Empire Airlines, Inc. |
11101 Airport Drive |
|
Hayden Lake |
ID |
83835 |
Mr. Spelde |
|
Mr. Larry K. Lane |
President |
Evergreen International Airlines, Inc. |
3850 Three Mile Lane |
|
McMinnville |
OR |
97128 |
Mr. Lane |
|
Mr. James Wikert |
Chief Executive Officer |
Express One International, Inc. |
3890 West NW Highway, #700 |
|
Dallas |
TX |
75220 |
Mr. Wikert |
|
Mr. Sam Addoms |
President & CFO |
Frontier Airlines, Inc. |
12015 East 46th Ave. |
|
Denver |
CO |
80239 |
Mr. Addoms |
|
Mr. Robert Stephan |
President |
Great American Airways |
Box 10165 Reno-Cannon Int'l Airport |
|
Reno |
NV |
89510 |
Mr. Stephan |
|
Mr. Bruce Nobles |
Chairman & CEO |
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. |
PO Box 30008 |
|
Honolulu |
HI |
96820 |
Mr. Nobles |
|
Ms. John Kelly |
Chairman, President & CEO |
Horizon Air |
PO Box 48309 |
|
Seattle |
WA |
98148 |
Mr. Kelly |
|
Mr. David Clark |
President |
International Charter Xpress |
3800 Rodney Parham Rd. |
|
Little Rock |
AR |
72212 |
Mr. Clark |
|
Mr. Jerry Murphy |
President & CEO |
KIWI International Airlines |
Hemisphere Center |
U.S. Route 1-9 South |
Newark |
NJ |
07114 |
Mr. Murphy |
|
Mr. Dennis Berry |
Vice President-Customer Service |
Mesa Airlines, Inc. |
2325 E. 30th Street |
|
Farmington |
NM |
87401 |
Mr. Berry |
|
Mr. Robert Gould |
President |
MGM Grand Air, Inc. |
1500 Rosencrans Ave. |
Suite 350 |
Manhatten Beach |
CA |
90266 |
Mr. Gould |
|
Mr. Ross Fischer |
President |
Miami Air International, Inc. |
PO Box 660880 |
|
Miami Springs |
FL |
33266-0880 |
Mr. Fischer |
|
Mr. John Selvaggio |
President |
Midway Airlines |
300 W. Morgan St. |
|
Durham |
NC |
27701 |
Mr. Selvaggio |
|
Mr. Timothy E. Hoeksema |
Chairman, President & CEO |
Midwest Express Airlines, Inc. |
6744 S. Howell Ave. |
|
Oak Creek |
WI |
53154 |
Mr. Hoeksema |
|
Mr. Daniel McKinnon |
President |
North American Airlines, Inc. |
Building 75, JFK Int'l Airport |
Suite 250 |
Jamaica |
NY |
11430 |
Mr. McKinnon |
|
Mr. Douglas M. Steenland |
Sr V P, General Counsel, & Secretary |
Northwest Airlines |
5101 Northwest Drive |
|
St. Paul |
MN |
55111-3034 |
Mr. Steenland |
|
Mr. Clay Barnett |
President |
Presidential Air |
17422 Pullman St. |
|
Irvine |
CA |
92714 |
Mr. Barnett |
|
Mr. Richard Reeve |
President |
Reeve Aleutian Airways, Inc. |
4700 West International Airport Rd. |
|
Anchorage |
AK |
99502 |
Mr. Reeve |
|
Mr. Robert Redding |
President |
Reno Air, Inc. |
PO Box 30059 |
|
Reno |
NV |
89520-3059 |
Mr. Redding |
|
Mr. Larry Sullivan |
President |
Renown Aviation, Inc. |
3940 Mitchell Road |
|
Santa Maria |
CA |
93455 |
Mr. Sullivan |
|
Mr. William Meenan |
President |
Rich International Airways, Inc. |
5400 NW 36th St. |
|
Miami |
FL |
33152 |
Mr. Meenan |
|
Mr. Ron Ryan |
President |
Ryan International Airlines, Inc. |
6810 W. Kellogg |
|
Wichita |
KS |
67209 |
Mr. Ryan |
|
Mr. Gregg Lukenbill |
President |
Sky King, Inc. |
3600 Power Inn Rd., Suite H |
|
Sacramento |
CA |
95826 |
Mr. Lukenbill |
|
Mr. James Parker |
Vice President and General Counsel |
Southwest Airlines Co. |
2702 Love Field Drive |
|
Dallas |
TX |
75235 |
Mr. Parker |
|
Mr. Robert P. Fleming |
President & CEO |
Sportsflight Airways, Inc. |
2285 E. Elvira Rd. |
|
Tucson |
AZ |
85706 |
Mr. Fleming |
|
Mr. John Skiba |
President |
Sun Country Airlines, Inc. |
7701 26th Ave. South |
|
Minneapolis |
MN |
55450 |
Mr. Skiba |
|
Mr. Tom Kolfenbach |
President |
Sun Jet International, Inc. |
4700 140th Ave. |
Suite 106 |
Clearwater |
FL |
34622 |
Mr. Kolfenbach |
|
Mr. Morris Nachtomi |
Chairman & CEO |
Tower Air, Inc. |
Hangar 17 |
JFK International Airport |
Jamaica |
NY |
11430 |
Mr. Nachtomi |
|
Mr. Lincoln Francis |
President |
Trans American Charter |
5923 South Central Ave. |
|
Chicago |
IL |
60638 |
Mr. Francis |
|
Mr. Bill Mishk |
VP-Marketing |
Trans States Airlines |
9275 Genaire Dr. |
|
St. Louis |
MO |
63134 |
Mr. Mishk |
|
Mr. Richard Magurno |
Sr V P and General Counsel |
Trans World Airlines, Inc. |
One City Centre |
515 North Sixth Street |
St. Louis |
MO |
63101 |
Mr. Magurno |
|
Mr. Stuart Oran |
Exec V P-Corp Affs & General Counsel |
United Airlines, Inc. |
P.O. Box 66100 |
|
Chicago |
IL |
60666 |
Mr. Oran |
|
Mr. Lawrence M. Nagin |
Exec V P & General Counsel |
USAir, Inc. |
Crystal Park Four |
2345 Crystal Drive |
Arlington |
VA |
22227 |
Mr. Nagin |
|
Mr. Lewis Jordan |
President |
ValuJet Airlines, Inc. |
1800 Phoenix Blvd. |
Suite 126 |
Atlanta |
GA |
30349 |
Mr. Jordan |
|
Mr. Robert McAdoo |
Chief Executive |
Vanguard Airlines, Inc. |
30 NW Rome Circle |
Terminal B Mezzanine Level |
Kansas City |
MO |
64153 |
Mr. McAdoo |
|
Mr. George Travis |
President |
Viscount Air Service, Inc. |
1000 E. Valencia Rd. |
|
Tucson |
AZ |
85706 |
Mr. Travis |
|
Mr. Larry Risley |
Chief Executive Officer |
Westair, Inc. |
5570 Air Terminal Dr. |
|
Fresno |
CA |
93727 |
Mr. Risley |
|
Mr. Edward R. Beauvais |
Chairman, President & CEO |
Western Pacific Airlines, Inc. |
2864 S. Circle Dr., Suite 1100 |
|
Colorado Springs |
CO |
80906 |
Mr. Beauvais |
|
Mr. Charles W. Pollard |
President |
World Airways, Inc. |
13873 Park Center Rd., Suite 400 |
|
Herndon |
VA |
22071 |
Mr. Pollard |