Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a new partnership at DIA on Tuesday that will streamline how consumer complaints against airlines are reviewed and resolved.
The new process for addressing consumer complaints against air travel companies reinforces state and federal commitments to protect the rights of travelers, according to a Tuesday news release from the Office of the Attorney General.
“Consumers deserve to be treated fairly, know what they’re getting, and get everything they pay for when they fly,” says Attorney General Weiser. “This agreement and partnership with the DOT will allow my office to directly serve Colorado consumers when they file complaints about unfair or deceptive airline business practices and creates a process to ensure DOT prioritizes complaints we refer.”
This partnership comes at a time when complaints about flight disruptions, lack of refunds, and lost or delayed baggage are at an all-time high, the attorney general says.
Approximately 62.8 million passengers and 39.4 million checked bags were screened in January 2024, according to the March 2024 Air Travel Consumer Report. That year, 280,093 bags were reported as mishandled, a 4% increase compared to January 2023. Additionally, 9,054 complaints were filed concerning Transportation Security Administration screening practices, a 25% decrease from the previous year, and 60,155 passengers were denied boarding due to oversale from October to December 2023, a 15% decrease from October to December 2022.
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Under the new agreement, the attorney general’s office is authorized to investigate and resolve consumer complaints against air carriers, ticket agents, and other travel companies supervised by the DOT. When necessary, the attorney general will refer complaints to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection and coordinate with them to determine next steps, according to the release.
The DOT will also provide technical assistance and training to staff in the attorney general’s office and meet with them at least once a year to assess ongoing efforts, updating Colorado on actions taken in response to state-referred complaints.
The memorandum will last for two years, and Colorado and the DOT can agree to extend the agreement at two-year intervals. Others states that have signed the memorandum with the DOT include California, the District of Columbia and New York.
“We take our mission to protect consumers seriously, and today’s launch of the Airline Passenger Protection Partnership is an important milestone in that effort,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated in the release. “By partnering with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general, the U.S. Department of Transportation has expanded our ability to hold airlines and ticket agents accountable and protect passengers from unfair or deceptive practices.”
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