The Routledge Companion to Air Transport Management

p.373

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Consumer protection regimes and passenger complaints

Paul Hooper

Introduction

“Airline service quality to many U.S. passengers may be the ultimate oxymoron based on stories, statistics and the perception that airlines help to foster” (Waguespack and Rhoades, 2014: 33). It is sentiments such as these that underlie pressures on governments to take strong action to protect passengers. But the proliferation of consumer protection laws presents problems for the global airline industry.

The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) view is that:

There’s a worrying trend in aviation policy these days – the spread of heavy consumer protection regimes around the world. While offering protection for consumers is a good thing, the purpose ...