Transportation Department's Inspector General Seeks Public Comments On

Quality of Airline Accommodations for Disabled and Special Need Passengers

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General

announced today that it is seeking public input on how airlines are

accommodating the needs of air travelers with disabilities and special

needs.

The Department's Office of Inspector General has been given specific

legal authority under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform

Act for the 21st Century (Public Law. 106-181) to review airline customer

service. Each air carrier that provides scheduled passenger air

transportation and is a member of the Air Transport Association has

developed individual Customer Service Plans for matters such as canceled

or delayed flights, on-time baggage delivery, ticket refunds, and

accommodating the needs of air travelers with special needs or

disabilities. The Inspector General is evaluating how each air carrier is

meeting its commitments and recently issued an interim report available

Inspector General will issue a final report later this year.

In addition to comments pertaining to the treatment of passengers with

disabilities or special needs, the Inspector General is still seeking

input from the flying public on airlines' practices of overbooking

flights, providing consumers access to lowest airfares, and long delays

on-board aircraft.

Electronic forms are now available on the Inspector General Website. Hard

copies may be obtained by fax or mail by calling 1-800-884-9190, or from

the Washington, D.C., area, (202) 366-2373. People who have

airline-related service issues or complaints other than those being

reviewed by the Inspector General may obtain information on contacting the

Department's Aviation Consumer Protection Division at:

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