1/14 🧵 I saw 95%+ of today's House T&I hearing with DOT Secretary Sean Duffy. And I noticed a curiosity that became a preoccupation is now a full-blown obsession. After 6 months in office, Duffy remains intent on blaming everything wrong at DOT on his predecessor Pete Buttigieg. 2/14 But don't take my word for it. Google "duffy blames buttigieg." Or, better yet, watch the video from today's lengthy hearing. By my count, Duffy blamed former DOT Secretary Buttigieg and/or President Biden in at least 9 separate cases.
transportation.house.gov/calendar/event…

1/25 🧵 DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said of the Newark Airport ATC mess: "I think it's clear that the blame belongs with the last administration. Pete Buttigieg & Joe Biden did nothing to fix the system."
This is at once incorrect, hypocritical, & dangerous.
youtube.com/live/xMxJIR9_7… 2/25 1) To say the last administration did nothing on ATC is false.
2) If it's a blame game, then both Trump-I/Chao & Trump-II/Duffy share plenty of blame.
3) These are life-threatening serious issues but in 3+ months this administration has shown a shocking lack of seriousness.

1/4 🧵Be Careful What You Wish For, Airline Industry Edition.

November 2024: Delta CEO Bastian says Trump's election victory signifies "a breath of fresh air" and will reverse government "overreach."
apnews.com/article/delta-… 2/4 January 10th 2025: Bastian predicts 2025 will be the most profitable year in its 100-year history.
onemileatatime.com/news/delta-202…

1/12 There's lots of talk about President-Elect Trump's proposed appointees but Fox host Sean Duffy as DOT Secretary requires much closer scrutiny. As @econliberties has noted, federal preemption has made this job the only sheriff overseeing airlines.

🧵economicliberties.us/our-work/end-f… 2/12 Already red flags are being raised about Duffy. Accountable.US noted that as a lobbyist for BGR Group in 2020, he worked for an airline coalition that included the Big Three--American, Delta, United--to keep foreign carriers out of the US.
accountable.us/trump-transpor…

1/9 Much to unpack on global CrowdStrike IT outage canceling thousands of airline flights worldwide. Numerous questions on industry consolidation & passengers jumping through hoops. But first--DOT confirmed it's an airline "controllable" situation.
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bts.gov/archive/public… 2/9 Why does that matter? In the US (unlike in EU, Canada, etc.) the CAUSE of a delay or cancellation is directly tied to compensation & accommodations. Airlines write the rules. Policies vary considerably, as shown in @usdot's Customer Service Dashboard.
transportation.gov/airconsumer/ai…

1/10 Imagine suing the government because you don't want your customers to have TRANSPARENT PRICING. Imagine arguing for opacity & confusion. We don't have to imagine it--several large US airlines have filed suit against @USDOT over fee disclosures.
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reuters.com/business/aeros… 2/10 DOT's new rule calls for baggage and flight change fees to be disclosed alongside fares & not via hyperlinks, thus ending "bait-and-switch tactics." Globally the industry notched $118 billion in "ancillary revenue" in 2023, primarily via junk fees.
ideaworkscompany.com/airline-ancill…

1/9 US airlines are broken. It's something I hear every day from doctors, accountants, barbers, boxing coaches. Everyone knows something is wrong with air travel. @econliberties decided to think big. So we partnered with @GaneshSitaraman on big solutions.
economicliberties.us/press-release/… 2/9 "How to Fix Flying: A New Approach to Regulating the Airline Industry" is a detailed, thoughtful suite of proposals addressing broken promises of deregulation & rampant consolidation that has left us with an oligopoly of the fewest airlines since 1910s. And unequal service.

1/11 At large airports you'll see signage for Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, & Thrifty. Plenty of competition, no? Actually…no. Because 86% of the US rental market is controlled by 3 parent companies—Enterprise, Hertz, Avis.

🧵vox.com/money/23894657… 2/11 This concentration has led to an explosion of junk fees & a degradation in service, as detailed by @EmilyStewartM in @voxdotcom. "McGee said, 'There are only three car rental companies in the US, which is kind of shocking when you think about it.'"
zippia.com/advice/largest…

1/18 It's time to talk about airline lobbyists. They have two ironclad rules:
• Anything good since 1978 is due ONLY to deregulation.
• Anything good we may want now--EVEN ON SAFETY!--means fares will have to go up. (Including in all those places where they never went down.)
🧵 2/18 As we've noted, US airlines have federal preemption, so you have fewer rights as consumers. State courts, state AGs, & state legislatures have no say. (@econliberties recommends elimination.) So why does such a protected industry do so much lobbying?
economicliberties.us/press-release/…

1/7 Here's the White House Fact Sheet on banning airline junk fees for kids under 13 to sit with their families. @econliberties is grateful to President Biden & USDOT for this. And we're eager to work with Congress & Secretary Buttigieg to implement.
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whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/… 2/7 Those of us advocating about this for a decade know airline behavior has only gotten worse. Families are rightfully confused over such draconian policies, and one comment I see continually is: "Well, the airline wouldn't seat my 3-year-old by him/herself, right?" Think again.

1/17 The worst customer service debacle in US airline history has spawned widespread misinformation about how airlines SHOULD work and how they DO work. And how USDOT SHOULD work and how it DOES work. Let's address the many myths spawned all week via media and social media.
🧵 2/17 First—the syllogism of it's EITHER Southwest's fault OR it's DOT's fault is quite false. Let's be clear: Airlines may be the most dysfunctional industry in the US. And for decades DOT has ranked among the most dysfunctional regulatory bodies, the textbook "captured agency."

1/13 In 37.5 years of airline flight operations, airline journalism, & airline passenger advocacy, I've never seen a worse service meltdown than what Southwest passengers are currently undergoing. Let's address—once and for all—how USDOT has failed us.
thebaltimorebanner.com/community/tran…
🧵 2/13 Before you say…but airlines don't control weather! Neither does Pete Buttigieg! Yes, very true. But what good airlines do is PREPARE for weather, STAFF for it, ADJUST schedules for it, & PROTECT customers for it. Many US airlines haven't lately. And DOT hasn't demanded it.

1/5 For those flying this week, a combination of severe weather & fragile, already battered airline infrastructure are making holidays nightmarish nationwide. Now at 10K+ flight cancellations & counting.
cnbc.com/2022/12/24/win…
abcnews.go.com/US/massive-sto…
wsj.com/articles/at-so…
🧵 2/5 So what are your rights & what can you do? Here are helpful links. If you're flying within Europe, these are your MANDATORY rights under EU regulations:
europa.eu/youreurope/cit…
And flying within Canada, here are your MANDATORY rights under CTA rules:
otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/air-passen…

1/11 For decades I've written & advocated about bad ideas that threaten safety and save airlines money. But this one hits home. As an FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher and former airline operations manager, I believe it’s TERRIBLE for FAA to allow dispatchers to work remotely.
🧵 2/11 Congress is saying FAA is still quietly allowing 60% of dispatchers at two US airlines—SkyWest & Republic—to work from home through 2023. SkyWest has 500+ aircraft flying for Alaska, American, Delta, & United. Republic has 200+ aircraft flying for American, Delta, & United.

Did you catch @SecretaryPete on cable news today talking about a new rule on flight refunds?

I’m a former airline operations manager & an FAA licensed dispatcher. I’ve spent 37 years working in and around the industry. Here’s what you need to know. 🧵 2/ This summer has been one of the worst times to fly — ever. More flights were canceled in the first 6 months of 2022 than in all of 2021.

I’ve never seen anything like it.
newsweek.com/flight-cancell…