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Allegiant Air to offer scheduled service to Mexico

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Allegiant Air today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to offer scheduled service between the United States and Mexico.

Allegiant Air currently serves more than 450 domestic routes. This will be the company’s initial venture into scheduled international service.

“Unlike other U.S. carriers, Allegiant has always been laser-focused on leisure travel and providing access to affordable, non-stop flights for those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to go on vacation,” said Maury Gallagher, Allegiant chairman and chief executive officer. “Offering service to Mexico will provide a whole new array of options for travelers to discover world-class destinations that may have been previously out of reach.”

“We believe that providing scheduled service to Mexico will also be of great economic benefit, by stimulating traffic and providing additional competition in the international leisure market,” he continued. “It will not only bring exceptional value to travelers, but will also enhance both tourism and business impact in the communities we serve.”

The DOT application is the first step in the process for Allegiant to begin scheduled service to Mexico. Projected dates and locations for commencement of service will be announced at later dates as the process moves forward.

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5 places to visit on your bucket list

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While everyone’s ultimate travel bucket list is different, there are certain destinations that really shouldn’t be missed, from American and Canadian destinations to places around the world, including these.

Ireland

The Emerald Isle is truly magical, even if leprechauns aren’t real, or are they? You can visit the Leprechaun Museum in Dublin to find out, but the highlight here is the scenery, and the castles, the music, the people. Visit ancient sites like Newgrange, even older than Stonehenge, constructed in 3200 BC, making it older than even the Great Pyramids of Giza too. Haunting castles and castle ruins dot the lush, green landscape, and there are beautiful beaches along the rugged coasts. Some of your favorite times might be found in the pubs, many of which host live music almost every night of the week, along with plenty of Guinness and craic.

Nashville, Tennessee

Music lovers especially should visit Nashville. Known as the “Music City,” it’s home to hundreds of live music venues that draw well-known names as well as up-and-coming artists. And, while you’ll find plenty of country, that’s not all. Its most famous venue is Grand Ole Opry, and at the historic Ryman Auditorium, visitors can even attend a live recording. The city also boasts a booming rock scene, with venues big and small, including The Basement, an intimate venue hosting everything from metal to acoustic shows.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

America’s top attraction with foreign visitors, the Grand Canyon is one of the seven wonders of the natural world. Up to 18 miles wide, a mile deep and 227 miles long, the canyon walls are made up of a stunning array of colors and erosional forms, made even more impressive at sunrise and sunset. You’ll want to do more than peer over the edge, though. You can enjoy an unforgettable adventure by riding a mule to the bottom, or head out to explore one of its more remote regions, making the long but rewarding trek to gaze at one of the world’s most breathtaking sights, Havasu Falls.

Antarctica

The ultimate bucket list destination, when your vessel gets through the waters of Orne Harbor, you’ll be welcomed by hundreds of squawking penguins tending their young in a desolate frozen landscape where iceberg peaks soar as much as 300 feet from of the sea. Minke and humpback whales, fur and leopard seals, are just a few of the other creatures you’re likely to encounter in one of the world’s last true frontiers.

Iceland

While its name might lead you to believe that it’s all about icy landscapes here, it’s anything but. The winters are similar to what you’d experience in major cities on America’s east coast, and the summer months are incredible with countless roaring waterfalls and hot springs in an otherworldly place of epic fairytale proportions. Soak in the legendary Blue Lagoon with its milky blue mineral-rich waters, or head to one of the more remote hot springs where you can soak in seclusion.

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FlyersRights files lawsuit against US DOT for not enforcing flight delay compensation

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FlyersRights.org has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Transportation (DOT) in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals over its refusal to enforce the Montreal Convention mandate that airlines must clearly disclose flight delay compensation rights.  See DOT-OST-2015-0256 at regulations.gov.

Under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention, the primary treaty governing international air travel, passengers can recover up to about $5,500 for flight delays on international trips on a nearly no-fault basis. And this little-known provision overrides any airline contract to the contrary. The treaty ratified by the US in 2003, explicitly requires (under Article 3) airlines to provide passengers with “written notice to the effect where [the] Convention is applicable it governs and may limit the liability of carriers for … delay.” Airlines currently only advise passengers of the airline’s liability limitations and omit any mention of delay compensation rights.

“The DOT continues to ignore express provisions of the Montreal Convention and U.S. law by allowing the airlines to engage in unfair, deceptive, anticompetitive, and predatory practices. Airlines continue to obscure with undecipherable legalese or outright deception delay compensation rights. See https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/support/liability-for-international-flights.jsp vs  https://flyersrights.org/delayedcanceled-flights/ and 14 CFR 221.105, 106. Congress gave the DOT the exclusive power to protect consumers against such unfair and deceptive practices. The DOT’s refusal to require airlines to follow the treaty is itself a violation of U.S. law,” remarked Paul Hudson, President of FlyersRights.org

FlyersRights.org is represented in the court proceeding by Joseph Sandler, Esq. of Sandler, Reiff, Lamb, Rosenstein &Rosenstock of Washington, D.C.

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FlyersRights asking DOT to regulate airline change fees

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When Congress deregulated airline prices, routes, and schedules in 1978, Congress preserved the DOT’s responsibility to ensure that international prices and fees remained “reasonable.” This little-known provision of U.S. law means that the FAA should strike down any change fees that are unreasonable and have no relation to cost. See 49 U.S.C. § 41501, DOT-OST-2015-0031 at regulations.gov.

FlyersRights.org has filed a notice of appeal against the US Department of Transportation (DOT) in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals over its refusal to regulate international change fees – Flyers Rights Education Fund v. U.S. Department of Transportation (CADC).

Passengers are helpless when it comes these exorbitant change fees that can range up to $500 or more. Domestic consolidation and international alliances in the airline industry have combined to give passengers fewer options when travelling. As airline profits soar, the airlines continue to increase change fees by hundreds of dollars while publicly declaring that these fees are a major profit generator.

In 2015, FlyersRights.org filed a rulemaking petition demanding that the DOT enforce the Reasonableness Law for change fees on international flights. On February 1, 2019, the DOT denied this petition. In refusing to regulate despite the Reasonableness Law, the DOT said it relied on “market forces” to handle all air travel pricing and policy. See DOT-OST-2015-0031-0035. FlyersRights.org is represented in the court appeal by Joseph Sandler, Esq. of Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock P.C. of Washington, D.C.

Paul Hudson, President of FlyersRights.org, reflected on the past few years, “The DOT has demonstrated a tremendous ability to allow the airlines and airplane manufacturers to dictate enforcement policies. The DOT has ignored the law by failing to guarantee that international change fees are reasonable and related to cost. At a time when flights are routinely filled to capacity, airlines extort passengers into paying hundreds of dollars to change flights so that the airline can go back and sell the same ticket, usually at a higher price. The airlines reach into passengers’ checkbooks because the DOT refuses to follow the law.”

FlyersRights.org most recently took the FAA to federal court over the denial of its 2015 seat size rulemaking petition. The seat litigation has increased scrutiny on the FAA’s relationship with Boeing and other airplane manufacturers, has led to Congressional mandates to establish seat size standards and to review certification procedures, and has prompted a DOT Inspector General Investigation into the FAA’s oversight of emergency evacuation testing and certification.

Paul Hudson, member of the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee since 1993, noted “The DOT and FAA keep proving, time and time again, that they will allow Boeing and the airlines to dictate policy both in the safety and consumer protection realms. From ignoring concerns over the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 787 Dreamliner, to rubber stamping manufacturers’ emergency evacuation testing, to decreasing enforcement of consumer protections to historical lows, the DOT has surrendered its duty to ensure safe air travel and reasonable protections for passengers.”

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