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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

20.900:  Transportation: Consumer Affairs

Objectives:  To improve service provided to the public by domestic and foreign air carriers.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

20.900 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  All users of air transportation.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  All users of air transportation.

Credentials/Documentation:  None.

20.900 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:  The Division requests that complainants first contact the airline in an attempt to resolve the complaint. If that is unsuccessful, they can call or email the Division or send a letter stating pertinent facts about the incident that caused the complaint as well as copies (never originals) of tickets or baggage tags, if these documents help to explain the nature of the problem. Please include with your letter of complaint a daytime phone number.

Award Procedure:  Not applicable.

Deadlines:  None, but complaint should be filed as soon as possible after the problem occurs.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  Not applicable.

Appeals:  Not applicable.

Renewals:  Not applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  Not applicable.

Examples of Funded Projects:  Not applicable.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  Not applicable.

20.900 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 33.001 Shipping Investigation of Complaints.

20.900 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

20.900 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Type of Assistance:  Investigation of Complaints.

Obligations:  (Salaries and expenses) FY 99 $467,000; FY 00 est $566,000; and FY 01 est $590,000.

Budget Account Number:  69-0102-0-1-407.

Authorization:  Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, Section 1002(a), 49 U.S.C. 1301; Sections 204, 302.200, and 384.7, Public Laws 85-726, 95-504 and 98-443.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  Copies of the pamphlet "Fly-Rights, A Guide to Air Travel in the U.S." are available from the Consumer Information Center-6A, P.O. Box 100, Pueblo, CO 81002. Enclose check or money order payable to Superintendent of Documents in the amount of $1.75 per copy with a 25 percent discount on orders of 100 copies or more. Copies of the "Air Travel Consumer Report" issued monthly and "Plane Talk", a series of air travel fact sheets, are available free of charge by writing to the headquarters office listed. These publications can also be found on the Department of Transportation's world wide web site at: www.dot.gov/circonsumer.

20.900 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  Alaska Aviation Statistics Field Office, Department of Transportation, 801 B Street Room #506, Anchorage, AK 99501-23657. Phone: (907) 271-5147.

Headquarters Office:  Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75 (Norman Strickman), Room 4107, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Phone: (202) 366-5957.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

20.900 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  This program has no statutory formula.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Not applicable.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  The Aviation Consumer Protection Division provides assistance and information to consumers trying to resolve complaints against airlines, travel agents, and air tour operators. The Division also provides information about specific air travel service problems such as lost baggage, oversold flights, scheduling problems and overcharges, and may refer people to local Small Claims courts if informal mediation efforts fail.

20.900 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  None.

Audits:  None.

Records:  None.