Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill
by Daniel McCarthy
The bill that would mandate refunds of bag fees to fliers whose bags are delayed or lost took a step toward implementation on Tuesday as the Senate voted 95-3 to pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), who sponsored the bill, called it “one of the most passenger-friendly FAA reauthorization bills we’ve seen, literally, in a generation.” The bill also funds the FAA through 2017.
The current FAA reauthorization bill expires in June. The new one is now headed to the House for approval.
Though it would be a relief for fliers, airlines are not keen on it. Airlines for America president and CEO Nicholas Calio has said the legislation will make it more expensive for travelers to fly.
