Legal status Nonprofit organization Founder Kate Hanni Type of business consumer organization | Services Political advocacy Founded 29 December 2006 | |
Predecessor Coalition for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights Formation December 29, 2006; 10 years ago (2006-12-29) Founded at Austin, Texas, United States Purpose Airline passenger rights Similar European Travel Commission, National Consumers League, Public Interest Research, Public Citizen | ||
FlyersRights.org is an American not-for-profit organization that supports legislation protecting the rights of airline passengers, improving visibility in the reporting of tarmac delays by commercial airlines and distance between the rows of airline seats.
Contents
It is the biggest non-profit consumer organization in North America representing passengers of commercial airlines.
In 2011, FlyersRights.org pushed a rulemaking through the U.S. Department Of Transportation, which expanded on passenger protections.
Current Legislation
In 2015, FlyersRights.org drafted and filed a petition to the U.S. Congress calling for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to set guidelines for the minimum distance between rows in planes and appoint a committee to help develop benchmarks. Tens of thousands signed their names to the petition.
In February 2016, Congressman Steve Cohen, (D-TN), introduced an amendment to a FAA funding bill called the Seat Egress in Air Travel which mandated a certain amount of legroom to passengers for safety, health and comfort. It was defeated in the House Transportation Committee.
Two weeks later Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) also added an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Bill requiring the agency to set the seat-size guidelines. In April 2016, The Senate voted down the amendment on a 54-to-42 vote, with most Democrats supporting the amendment and most Republicans opposed.
Current Legal Work
Flyers Rights partnered with Travelers United to file an amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court on December 20, 2016 in support of an injured passenger´s appeal in Von Schoenebeck v. KLM.