Comair fined for improperly bumping passengers from flights
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced it has fined Delta Air Lines subsidiary Comair $275,000 for improperly bumping passengers from flights.
Erlanger, Ky.-based Comair, a Delta Connection carrier, failed to seek volunteers to leave overbooked flights in exchange for compensation and did not give appropriate denied boarding compensation, according to the DOT. In most cases, passengers involuntarily bumped from flights are entitled to up to $800 in compensation.
The DOT said it investigated Comair's compliance with bumping rules after consumers filed complaints with the agency.
The agency said it also found that Comair filed inaccurate reports with the federal government on how many passengers were involuntarily denied boarding.
The Comair fines come after the DOT announced last year it was fining Delta up to $375,000 and announced this year it was fining Southwest Airlines up to $200,000 for violating denied boarding compensation rules.
Delta said in a written statement that it and its regional partners "fully comply with all DOT regulations, including those related to denied boarding, and we've taken steps to improve training and provide tools needed to better ensure that proper procedures are followed in these situations."
About the Author
As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.
