Air Traveler's Bill of Rights

As the association of professionals to whom the public looks for its travel information and advice, the American Society of Travel Agents ("ASTA") issues these principles, which we believe should govern air transportation. Travel agents, as the source of unbiased, comparative fare and schedule information, acknowledge the rising tide of consumer dissatisfaction with air travel. After consulting others with interests in these consumer issues, we state these principles in the hope that the airline industry will adopt them in practice as well as in name and thereby restore service and dependability to the traveling public to an acceptable level.

The airlines use the public air space and public facilities to profit from the transport of millions of people who have no alternative but to use their services. These circumstances compel the airlines to accept a special public trust and responsibility to comply with minimum standards of courtesy, comfort, convenience, and service. All passengers should be treated with respect and awareness that they are the owners of the public air space.

1. Truth in advertised prices, schedules and seat availability.

2. equal access to unbiased, comparative travel information and all fare and service options.

3. a comfortable seat, reasonable space for carry-on luggage, healthful meals, and clean sanitary facilities, regardless of class of service.

4. timely and courteous assistance in making connections.

5. use all, part or none of the segments on any ticket purchased.

6. timely, complete and truthful information and courteous assistance regarding delays, cancellations, and equipment changes.

7. timely and courteous assistance for the disabled and unaccompanied children.

8. appropriate in-flight medical emergency assistance.

9. access to the courts and state consumer laws to resolve disputes with airlines.

1. truth in advertised prices, schedules and seat availability. Airlines should attract consumers on the basis of fair representations about prices and services that are generally available in the marketplace. They should not lure consumers with offers that are available in such limited quantities that more consumers are misled or disappointed than benefited.

2. equal access to unbiased, comparative travel information and all fare and service options. Air transportation services should be available to everyone on an equal basis. Consumers must have access to the same information to make intelligent travel choices. The service a traveler receives, and the price paid, should not depend on owning a computer or preferring to receive information through other means.

3. a comfortable seat, reasonable space for carry-on luggage, healthful meals, and clean sanitary facilities, regardless of class of service.

4. An airline ticket entitles the passenger to a package of transportation services with several components. Among these are a comfortable seat, transportation of accompanying baggage, a place to put personal items that may be needed in flight, access to clean sanitary facilities, and, to reasonable sustenance, i.e. meals, on long flights. The cost of a lower priced ticket fully compensates the airline for each of these basic components. While an airline may choose to sell some tickets at a lower price, it must not deny basic services to travelers or displace the lower fare passenger in favor of a passenger who pays more. Airlines can, of course, sell enhanced or even luxurious service and amenities to those willing to pay for them. Airlines should not create differentials in classes of service simply by making the lower cost class so uncomfortable and unattractive that consumers are driven to pay premium prices for higher service categories in order to get the basic services to which they are already entitled.

5. timely and courteous assistance in making connections. When an airline's route structure requires one or more stops between origin and destination, the airline must assume responsibility for making the travel as seamless as possible. This requires clear, accurate directions to connecting flights and the assistance of airline personnel in making connections.

6. use all, part or none of the segments on any ticket purchased. Use of a combination of roundtrip tickets, a ticket with a point beyond the consumer's final destination, or only one leg of a roundtrip ticket, are sometimes necessary to achieve the most economical travel under an airline's fare structure. Regardless of an airline's fare restriction policies, and in keeping with the treatment of all other consumer purchases, a consumer who purchases a ticket buys the right, but never the obligation, to travel to the points covered by the fare.

7. timely, complete and truthful information and courteous assistance regarding  delays, cancellations, and equipment changes. The consumer keeps the bargain with the airline by paying for the ticket. If the airline fails to provide the transportation it promised, the consumer is entitled to know why, and to adjust travel plans accordingly. Regardless of the cause, when an airline cancels a flight, it is often leaving the consumer in unfamiliar surroundings and without access to that person's usual resources. The airline must then assume responsibility for providing the consumer with the next available alternate transportation, assistance in contacting others who may be dependent upon the consumer's arrival, and, when appropriate to the circumstances, food and lodging.

8. timely and courteous assistance for the disabled and unaccompanied children. Airlines have a special responsibility to see to the well being of passengers requiring assistance due to disabilities and of unaccompanied children. Such persons must never be abandoned or put in fear of being abandoned.

9. appropriate in-flight medical emergency assistance. The outcome of a serious in-flight medical emergency should not depend on the airline on which a passenger has chosen to travel. All airlines should commit themselves to prompt adoption of the highest level of in-flight care available, and to follow the best industry practices in effect for dealing with particular medical problems.

10. access to the courts and state consumer laws to resolve disputes with airlines. From time to time disputes may arise about service or other issues between consumers and any business. The states have provided laws by which these disputes can be resolved, and courts, including small claims courts, to resolve them effectively. Airlines should not be exempt from the same consumer protection laws that apply to other businesses.