{"id":2130957,"date":"2023-12-21T15:56:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T20:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-scrutinizing-airline-frequent-flyer-programs\/"},"modified":"2023-12-21T16:01:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T21:01:23","slug":"us-scrutinizing-airline-frequent-flyer-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-scrutinizing-airline-frequent-flyer-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"US investigating airline loyalty programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fus-scrutinizing-airline-frequent-flyer-programs%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2130957&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>December\u200b 21, 2023 \u2013 8:36 AM PST<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>WASHINGTON (Reuters) \u2013<\/strong> The U.S. Transportation Department is closely examining the \u200bfrequent flyer programs of major U.S. airlines for potential \u2063deceptive or unfair practices, the agency announced on Thursday. This increased\u2064 oversight comes as regulators aim to \u200censure transparency \u2063and protect \u2063travelers in the airline\u200c industry.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The department has been engaging in recent discussions with passenger \u2064airlines \u200bto address concerns related to popular loyalty programs. These discussions \u2063cover \u2062topics such as transparency in booking award tickets, transferability of miles, and providing notice before making changes, according \u200dto two sources familiar with the\u2064 matter.<\/p>\n<p>Another significant issue being examined by the USDOT is the \u2063devaluation of frequent flyer miles over time, which makes \u200dit more\u200d challenging \u200cfor travelers to redeem \u200bthem for \u2062award tickets, a separate source revealed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are committed to thoroughly reviewing complaints regarding \u2062loyalty\u200c programs and utilizing our authority to investigate airlines for any unfair and deceptive practices that\u200d harm travelers,\u201d stated a spokesperson for the department. \u201cDOT officials are actively engaging with\u200b U.S.\u200d airlines and gathering additional information on this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Delta \u200bAir Lines\u200c and United Airlines declined to comment, other airlines have not yet provided immediate responses. Frequent \u200cflyer miles remain \u2063one of the \u2063most sought-after loyalty programs.<\/p>\n<p>Delta, which reported having over\u2063 100 million frequent flyer members in 2020, \u200cexperienced a record-breaking \u200baddition\u2063 of 8.5 million\u2063 members last year.<\/p>\n<p>These meetings coincide with concerns raised by \u200dsome members of\u200b Congress regarding frequent flyer programs.<\/p>\n<p>In October, Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin and Republican Senator\u200c Roger Marshal reached out to the Transportation Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, expressing concerns about &#8220;troubling reports&#8221;\u2063 of unfair\u200c and deceptive practices in airlines&#8217; frequent\u200d flyer and loyalty programs.<\/p>\n<p>The senators cited reports indicating that &#8220;airlines \u200dare changing point systems\u2062 in \u200cways that are \u2064unfair to consumers, including by devaluing points, meaning it takes more points\u200c than initially\u2062 marketed to \u200dachieve\u200b the promised rewards.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Major airlines have actively lobbied Congress this year to reject\u2064 legislation co-sponsored \u2063by\u2063 Durbin\u200d and Marshall, arguing\u200b that it threatens their \u2062ability to offer rewards credit \u2063cards \u200dthat provide consumers with\u2064 frequent flyer \u2064miles for \u200dtransactions.<\/p>\n<p>Durbin argues that the bill aims\u200b to address &#8220;outrageous&#8221;\u200d fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, while also promoting competition\u2064 by directing the Federal Reserve\u200b to ensure that large credit card-issuing banks offer\u200b a choice of \u2063at least \u200ctwo networks for\u2062 electronic credit\u200b transactions.<\/p>\n<p>Airlines \u2063claim \u200bthat there\u200b are at least \u206230 million U.S. \u200cairline industry credit card holders. In October, Delta revised some changes to its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-senator-concerned-american-jetblue-partnership-will-raise-prices\/\" title=\"US Senator Concerned American, JetBlue Partnership Will Raise Prices\">frequent flyer program<\/a> that had been announced in September, following concerns \u2062raised by members.<\/p>\n<p><sup>Reporting\u200b by David Shepardson Editing by Nick Zieminski<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t<strong>Share this \u200bpost!<\/strong>\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>A Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe is \u200cspreading \u200bin both the U.S. and Canada.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>With President Trump leading in national polls \u2063for the next president, many are curious \u2062about the best candidate for his\u200d vice president.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>with Ed Martin<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>with Dr. Jeff Barke<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>One of Tesla&#8217;s main challenges is\u2062 the speed at which\u200c it can produce the 4680 batteries used in the \u200bCybertruck with its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-trump-jordan-ticket-could-sweep-the-nation-in-2024\/\" title=\"Trump and Jordan in 2024: A Winning Combination for America\">innovative\u2063 dry-coating technology<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>A group of 11 nonfiction authors\u200b has\u200b filed\u2063 a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, accusing OpenAI and Microsoft of misusing their books to train their models.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>San Francisco \u2064police Sergeant David Radford\u2062 reached out to\u200b Tesla regarding \u200ddata\u2062 on an\u2062 alleged stalker&#8217;s remote access to a vehicle.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>Google will pay $700 million and revamp its Play app store to foster greater competition as part of an antitrust settlement with\u200b U.S. states and consumers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \u200b rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> What legislative actions are being \u2063considered to address\u2063 the concerns raised by members of Congress regarding frequent flyer \u200dprograms<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The U.S. Transportation Department has announced its increased oversight of the frequent flyer programs offered \u200cby major U.S. airlines to\u200d address potential deceptive or unfair\u2064 practices. This move is aimed at ensuring transparency and protecting\u2063 travelers in the airline industry.<\/p>\n<p>The department has been in discussions with passenger airlines to address concerns related to popular loyalty programs. These\u200c discussions cover topics like transparency in booking\u2064 award tickets,\u200d transferability of miles, and providing notice before making changes. These measures are being taken\u200d to protect the\u200d interests of travelers, according to two sources familiar with the \u2063matter.<\/p>\n<p>Another important issue being examined by the USDOT is the devaluation of\u2064 frequent flyer miles over time. This devaluation makes it more challenging for travelers to redeem their \u2064miles for award tickets. This concern was raised by a separate source, highlighting the importance of addressing this issue to ensure a fair and beneficial loyalty program for airline passengers.<\/p>\n<p>A \u2062spokesperson for the department stated, &#8220;We are committed to thoroughly reviewing \u2063complaints regarding loyalty programs and \u200cutilizing our authority to \u2063investigate \u200bairlines for any unfair and deceptive practices\u200d that harm travelers.&#8221; The department is actively engaging with U.S. airlines and gathering additional information on\u200c this matter.<\/p>\n<p>While\u200c Delta Air Lines \u200dand United Airlines declined to comment, other\u200b airlines have not yet provided immediate responses. Frequent \u200dflyer miles remain\u2062 one of the most sought-after loyalty programs for travelers. Delta, for instance, reported having over 100 million frequent \u200dflyer members in\u200c 2020\u200b and \u200dexperienced a significant\u2062 addition \u2062of 8.5 million members last year.<\/p>\n<p>These discussions and increased \u2062oversight coincide with concerns raised by members of Congress regarding frequent flyer programs. In October, Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Roger Marshal expressed concerns to the Transportation Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about &#8220;troubling reports&#8221; of unfair and\u200c deceptive \u2062practices in airlines&#8217; frequent flyer \u200dand loyalty programs. They cited reports indicating that airlines are changing point systems in ways that \u2062are \u200dunfair to consumers, such\u200c as devaluing points, making it more difficult to achieve the \u200bpromised \u200brewards.<\/p>\n<p>Major\u2063 airlines have actively lobbied Congress this year \u200cto reject legislation co-sponsored by Durbin and Marshall. The airlines argue \u2063that such legislation threatens their ability \u200cto offer rewards\u2064 credit cards that provide consumers with frequent flyer miles\u200c for transactions. Durbin, on the other hand, argues that \u200bthe bill aims to address &#8220;outrageous&#8221; fees charged by Visa and Mastercard and promote competition by ensuring that large credit card-issuing banks offer a choice of at least two networks for\u2063 electronic credit transactions.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth mentioning that airlines claim there are at least 30 million U.S. airline industry credit \u2064card holders. The discussions and potential legislative actions seek to find a balance\u200d between the airlines&#8217; ability \u2063to \u2063offer rewards and protecting consumers from deceptive practices.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, \u2062the U.S. Transportation Department&#8217;s increased oversight of frequent flyer programs reflects its commitment to ensuring \u2064transparency and protecting \u2063travelers in the airline industry. It is essential to address concerns related to deceptive practices, devaluation of miles, and other issues to maintain a fair \u200cand beneficial loyalty program\u200b for \u2063airline passengers. The discussions with airlines and potential legislative\u2063 actions aim to strike a \u200bbalance\u200c between industry interests and consumer\u200b protection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. Transportation Department is investigating major U.S. airlines&#8217; frequent flyer programs for possible deceptive or unfair practices. Regulators are increasing their oversight of the airline industry and have been holding meetings with passenger airlines. This was announced on December 21, 2023, at 8:36 AM PST in Washington<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1911,"featured_media":2130958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2130957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2130957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1911"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2130957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2130957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2130958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2130957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2130957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2130957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}