AirFAIR Act
H.R. 5502, introduced by Rep. Velázquez in the 119th Congress, would amend title 49 of the U.S. Code to curb large, “excessive” airfare price increases during disasters or emergencies. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations establishing when a ticket price increase is excessive, with a baseline standard that a 30% or greater increase is considered excessive. It expands the scope of prohibited unfair or deceptive practices to include price gouging by ticket agents, air carriers, foreign air carriers, or other sellers of air transportation during declared disasters or emergencies. The bill also requires the FAA Administrator to study whether any entities engaged in unfair practices related to disaster-timed ticket sales and to report findings to Congress within one year of enactment. The act is titled the Airline Freeze of Astronomical Increases in Rates Act (AirFAIR Act).
Key Points
- 1Adds a new subsection (d) to 49 U.S.C. 41712 prohibiting excessive ticket price increases during disasters or emergencies and directing DOT to regulate fairness standards.
- 2Establishes a minimum benchmark: a price increase of 30% or more is considered excessive.
- 3Defines “disaster” or “emergency” as declarations by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory/possession (not explicitly a federal declaration).
- 4Requires the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations setting standards for determining what constitutes an excessive increase.
- 5Requires the FAA Administrator to conduct a study on whether any party selling air tickets engaged in unfair practices during disaster or emergency circumstances and to report results to Congress within one year of enactment.