Attorney General Stein wants strengthened protections for airline customers

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is calling on transportation officials to strengthen protections for airline customers.

Stein joined a contingent of state attorneys general in requesting relief for people who have experienced unexpectedly canceled or delayed flights.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Transportation on Monday, the attorneys general proposed measures that would require airlines to adhere to advertised schedules, not overbook flights, and be liable for hefty non-compliance fines.

Recommendations include requiring that carriers only promote flights that are adequately staffed, be heavily fined for non-weather-related cancellations and delays, and be prohibited from upselling alternate flights to the same destinations.

The letter also calls on airlines to provide credits and vouchers for future flights that can be used easily without undue limitations.

Stein released a statement saying that as North Carolinians prepare for the holidays, he wants to ensure travel is made “as stress- and headache-free as possible.”  He added that airlines “should do right by customers” and not profit off their hardships.