Really ... But Fortunately No Airline Seems To Be Seriously Considering The Move

Here at ANN, we like to think that we're out in front on a lot of issues in the aviation industry ... but not with our April Fools spoofs.

In the past, we've written about airlines, in their mad rush to charge fees for nearly everything, imposing a fee for using the lavatory on board. But only as a joke. C'mon, man, it's a joke.

That's not to say that we'll take any credit for legislation introduced by Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL-3) (pictured) who says his "Comfortable and Fair Flights Act of 2015" would ensure that airline passengers have some basic rights and protections when traveling on commercial airlines.

“More and more, when airline passengers get on a flight they expect to suffer from uncomfortable conditions; as a frequent flyer I understand this,” said Rep. Lipinski in a news release. “One thing they should never have to worry about is access to a bathroom. Unfortunately, commercial flights are not required to depart with a functioning bathroom, sometimes forcing passengers to endure a trip without this basic necessity. Moreover, as ancillary fees continue to grow, the specter of an in-flight bathroom fee continues to loom in the background since first being broached in 2010.

“Additionally, many of us are all too familiar with paying baggage fees and have come to accept them as part of the flying experience. While lost and delayed baggage rates are declining, passengers who suffer from this inconvenience do so without the right to a refund, even after hours or days of delay. Simply put, if you pay for a service, you should get that service promptly or get your money back.”

Lipinski’s Comfortable and Fair Flights Act of 2015 would remedy these issues with three straight forward provisions. First, if the bathrooms on an aircraft are not functioning properly before departure, passengers would have the option to change their flight plans without incurring a change fee. Second, no commercial airline would be permitted to charge a fee for lavatory use. Third, airlines would be required to refund bag fees to passengers who have had the arrival of their bags delayed by two or more hours.

“These are all common sense provisions that will help protect the consumer rights of passengers,” stated Lipinski.

No airline seems to actually be considering the move right now, but it was floated as a trial balloon by Ryanair a few years back ... so who knows.

(Source: Congressman Dan Lipinski news release. Official photo via Wikipedia)

FMI: http://lipinski.house.gov/uploads/Comfortable%20and%20Fair%20Flights%20Act%20of%202015.pdf