Airline industry’s recommendations to Congress

Kevin Mitchell of the Business Travel Coalition says Congress can help small businesses and airlines by cracking down on oil speculation, strengthening the US dollar, pressuring OPEC to increase oil supplies, and suspending taxes and fees on US airlines until March 2009. (0:56)
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Rep. Chabot’s (R-Ohio) oil statistics

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) says airlines are being forced to eliminate destinations, increase fares, and downsize due to oil costs that have increased $45 billion dollars in eight years. (0:53)
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Rep. Velazquez (D-N.Y.) preventing business roadblocks

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) says a lack of runway capacity has forced small airlines into bankruptcy, leaving passengers with fewer choices and less access for small firms to diverse markets. (0:34)
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Senator Klobuchar voices her disapproval with Delta and Northwest Airlines merger

Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) voices her disapproval with the proposed Delta and Northwest Airlines merger at Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust hearing. (0:59)
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Airline customers’ top complaints include flight problems and baggage handling

The 2008 Airline Quality Ratings study announced today shows a sixty percent increase in customer complaints, according to co-researcher Dean Headley. He says most of the complaints were about flight problems, such as “delayed, canceled, unscheduled or rescheduled flights.” He says baggage handling was the “second biggest issue” in customer complaints. (0:33)
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Headley has low expectations for Airline Quality Ratings getting any better next year

Dean Headley, co-researcher on the Airline Quality Ratings study, says he expects “more of the same” for next year. The Airline Quality Ratings released today for 2008 show the lowest score ever, and without any “big fixes on the way” Headley says he doesn’t see ratings getting any better. He hopes instead that scores stay where they are. (0:28)
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