The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that it is fining American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Frontier Airlines for violating various Consumer Protection Rules.
The biggest fines were levied against Frontier Airlines, which was slapped with a $400,000 fine for "violating the Department's oversales and disability rules." According to the DOT, the airline failed to ask for volunteers before bumping passengers involuntarily. It also failed to provide bumped passengers with a written notice about their rights and failed to pay the proper compensation to involuntarily bumped passengers in a timely manner.
Additionally, the airline was dinged with failing to provide passengers with adequate wheelchair assistance during boarding and deplaning aircraft and while in the terminal. It further failed to "adequately respond" to complaints filed by passengers with disabilities.
In the case of American Airlines, which was fined $250,000, the airline was found to have "failed to process refund requests in a timely manner."
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Delta's fines, which clocked in at $200,000, were for filing inaccurate baggage reports to the DOT.
"The underreporting made Delta's ranking in the Department's Air Travel Consumer Report seem better than it was at various times," said the DOT press statement.
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