The GMAA provides a forum for the sharing of opinions and concerns of the industry, government, civic leaders and others with an interest in the past, current and future activities of aviation.
GMAA Discusses Airline Passengers' Rights


Timothy M. Ravich and Oscar S. Garcia recently appeared on Consumer Sense, a program on Miami-Dade County's community access television channel, Cable TAP, to discuss airline passengers' rights. The program focused on the business and legal issues confronting travelers today, from lost baggage to overbooked flights to lengthy delays.
Messrs. Garcia and Ravich agreed that Congress' ongoing consideration of an "Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights" is worthwhile.

Mr. Ravich introduced the topic of airline passengers’ rights, which dates back to at least 1999, when two dozen airplanes were stranded in a snow storm at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Mr. Ravich raised the issue whether improving airline service was a matter of business and common sense, not law (and federal law at that). Whatever the future of airline service legislation, Mr. Ravich noted that airline passengers are well advised to be aware of the price, time, and terms of their flight, especially because there is not necessarily a legal right or remedy for every wrong.

Mr. Garcia observed that commercial aviation regulations should focus on safety, operational delivery and efficiency of the seats sold, leaving comfort and convenience to the free market as consumers do for any other business offerings, e.g., rules such as supply and demand, and value pricing. Mr. Garcia also noted that the current concern about airline passengers' rights was evidence of how far the airline industry has come; issues of reliability, safety, frequency, and price are frequently taken for granted today, yet were foremost on the minds of lawmakers and airline decision makers years ago.

Timothy M. Ravich, a Miami-based commercial trial lawyer who teaches aviation law at the University of Miami School of Law, is the President-Elect of the Dade County Bar Association and member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Miami Aviation Association. Oscar S. Garcia, a former Boeing 747 Captain for an international airline, is the Immediate Past President of the Greater Miami Aviation Association and Chairman of InterFlight Global Corporation in Miami, Florida.