Editorial: Airlines given nudge in customer service

Thursday, Jan. 13, 2000 | 9:35 a.m.

In an attempt to fend off more regulation by Congress, the nation's airlines agreed last year to adopt voluntary guidelines to ensure they treat passengers with some amount of respect. Congress took interest after hearing numerous stories of passengers getting bumped, overbooked flights and a failure to adequately notify customers when flights are delayed or canceled.

To make sure airlines got the message, Congress ordered the Transportation Department to track consumer complaints in two areas -- overbookings and whether airlines are offering customers the lowest possible fares -- and report back later this year. The follow-up requirement was a smart move, because what often happens is that after attention to the issue fades away, the industry once under scrutiny reverts to its old ways.

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