Aviation Consumer Protection

Welcome to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection website. The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection reviews and responds to consumer complaints and promotes awareness and understanding of consumer rights through online consumer information and education. If you would like information on DOT rules, guidance, and enforcement orders related to aviation consumer and civil rights matters, please visit the left navigation bar. For helpful information related to consumers' rights, please select from the options below.

New Resources
36th Anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act This October, we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA or Act), one of America’s greatest civil rights achievements. The ACAA prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in commercial air transportation. Its passage represented a watershed moment for non-discrimination in air transportation, but the Act is short on specifics. Congress entrusted the U.S. Department of Transportation with bringing it to life and the Department has done so. Following a lengthy rulemaking process that included a regulatory negotiation involving representatives of the disability community and the airline industry, the Department issued a final ACAA rule in March 1990. Since that time, the Department has amended the rule approximately 15 times to further improve access to transportation facilities and services for persons with disabilities. If you are an airline passenger with a disability looking for more information regarding your rights during air travel, please follow this link to our disability webpage. Airline Customer Service Dashboard The U.S. Department of Transportation has created a dashboard to ensure the traveling public has easy access to information about services that U.S. airlines provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences when the cause of a cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control. This easy-to-use dashboard will empower travelers to understand the amenities that U.S. airlines have promised to provide should there be a controllable flight cancellation or delay.

New Resources

36th Anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act

This October, we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA or Act), one of America’s greatest civil rights achievements. The ACAA prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in commercial air transportation. Its passage represented a watershed moment for non-discrimination in air transportation, but the Act is short on specifics. Congress entrusted the U.S. Department of Transportation with bringing it to life and the Department has done so. Following a lengthy rulemaking process that included a regulatory negotiation involving representatives of the disability community and the airline industry, the Department issued a final ACAA rule in March 1990. Since that time, the Department has amended the rule approximately 15 times to further improve access to transportation facilities and services for persons with disabilities. If you are an airline passenger with a disability looking for more information regarding your rights during air travel, please follow this link to our disability webpage.

Airline Customer Service Dashboard

The U.S. Department of Transportation has created a dashboard to ensure the traveling public has easy access to information about services that U.S. airlines provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences when the cause of a cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control. This easy-to-use dashboard will empower travelers to understand the amenities that U.S. airlines have promised to provide should there be a controllable flight cancellation or delay.