PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jul 14, 2017
Airline Passenger Protection Act of 2017
This bill prescribes certain airline passenger protection requirements with respect to:
seat size, safety, and health;
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
bathroom size, safety, and health;
refunds for damaged or inoperable in-air amenities (televisions, headphones, and wireless internet access);
delays and cancellations;
disclosure of passenger fees and passenger rights of recourse in the event of a cancellation, delay, and damaged baggage;
frequent flier program benefits;
maintenance of a consumer complaint hotline;
lost, damaged, or stolen baggage disputes and insurance;
reinstatement of reciprocity rule (Rule 240) permitting passengers on a flight that is cancelled or delayed three or more hours to use their ticket on another airline to fly to the same or a nearby destination; and
tarmac delays, deplaning, and the provision of adequate food, potable water, and operable lavatories.
The bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to require air carriers and foreign air carriers to develop and implement reserve staffing and equipment plans that optimize the carrier's ability to provide quality service, defined as fewer than 2% of flights cancelled and fewer than 15% of flights delayed for causes reasonably within the control of the carrier.
DOT shall establish guidelines for carriers to report annually cancellation and on-time performance statistics to the Federal Aviation Administration.
People & committees
Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 11, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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