What Should Airlines to do After Southwest’s Meltdown
Excerpts from The Dallas Morning News
Paul Hudson, president of advocacy group Flyers Rights, said during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Science, Commerce and Transportation Committee on Thursday that there are simple steps Southwest Airlines, other airlines and the industry’s regulators can take to improve the flying experience, especially when weather or technology problems disrupt travel.
At the top of the list is requiring airlines to provide compensation to travelers delayed by more than three hours — something the European Union requires of its carriers, Hudson said.
“Under the current system, airlines are actually incentivized to provide bad service,” he said. “Good service costs money, and bad service saves money and that money can be used for dividends, and stock buybacks and executive compensation.”
Hudson also suggested going back to what he called a “pre-deregulation reciprocity rule.”
“This rule matched empty seats on other airlines with passengers whose flights were canceled or significantly delayed at no extra charge,” Hudson said. “This mitigates delays and consumer harm, is self-executing and rewards airlines with reliable service while penalizing those without.”
He urged the committee to revisit the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, a law that allowed airlines to fly wherever they chose and charge what they wanted. The National Air and Space Museum reported that “fierce competition” came as a result, driving down fares and making air travel more accessible.
“Unintended consequences lie behind most current air travel dysfunction,” Hudson said. “This can be done by establishment of a bipartisan commission or select committee to study the current state of air travel and propose needed reforms in the next six to 12 months.”
