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Show Airlines Must Warn: You Can't Go Now The Civil Aeronautics ) Board, protecting the airlines more than air travelers for years, has come up with another almost incredible j policy. j STARTING APRIL 3, the ' CAB has announced, airlines must warn passengers they may be bumped from flights ' on which they have paid for : and reserved seats. ; The airlines have in recent ; years resorted to overbooking 1 to compensate for no-shows. ; WHAT THIS means is that, : in an attempt to collect every - possible dollar, the airlines guess at the number of no- shows, and, if they miss, some innocent passengers, who made reservations and bought tickets in good faith, are denied seats when they get to the airport! The CAB says airlines must now post printed warnings about this much-protested policy on tickets and at ticket counters. Of course, this doe.i the passenger no good at all. It's merely a sop intended to make it appear the C.A.B. is acting in the public interest. THE ACTION is, in fact, CAB permission allowing airlines to continue this inexcusable inex-cusable practice in spite of recent complaints. What good does a printed notice on the wall do for a passenger (on business or vacation) turned away at the gate who has planned his annual vacation weeks in advance, ad-vance, or who has a "must" business engagement? None, of course. ANY passenger who books and pays for a seat in advance should be guaranteed that seat, as has been the tradition on steamships and passenger trains for centuries. The shocking collaboration of the CAB with fast-business practices airlines have been getting by with in recent years is further proof the urgent ur-gent need for a new airline regulating agency, or at the least, a turnover in board membership. i |
