NEW RULES ABOUT BUMPING
How many times have you been bumped from a flight? If the answer is one too many (more like once is enough) then I have good news for you. The Transportation Department is considering making airlines pay big bucks when they overbook a flight and bump passengers from prepaid seats.
Currently, if an airline forces passengers onto another flight that takes them to their destination less than two hours after their original arrival time, the carrier must pay the value of a passenger’s ticket, plus up to $200. In addition, if the airline does not meet the 2-hour limit, passengers can be paid up to $400.
But now the government is considering having airlines pay upwards of $1,200 for bumping passengers. Transportation Department officials say they are interested in hearing from you regarding “several options for new maximum levels of compensation” for airline passengers who are forced to take a later flight due to airlines’ overbooking.
Here are the options: leave the existing limits in place, eliminate them entirely, double them, change the limits to $290 and $580, or $624 and $1,248. You can leave your comments on the proposal at the Department of Transportation’s website.
REVIEWING RULES ABOUT TIRE PRESSURE
If you aren’t already aware of the correlation between underinflated tires and fuel loss then you haven’t been reading my blogs… or paying attention to the numerous safety campaigns pushing proper tire inflation.
If that’s the case, it seems you aren’t alone. A recent survey by the Rubber Manufacturers Association shows only 55% of drivers reported checking their tires during the prior month. That’s down from 70% over the same period last year.
Just as a quick review: When your tires are underinflated, you’re putting more rubber (or friction) on the road, which leads you to burn more gas. To prevent problems, AAA recommends checking your tires once a week. To find the right pressure, check your owner’s manual or the decal located on the driver’s side door jam. Don’t use the tire pressure that’s molded onto the tire sidewall, because that’s the pressure required for the tire to be at its maximum load capacity, not the recommended inflation pressure.
And, if you think that checking your tire pressure on a weekly basis is a bit extreme consider this: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, underinflated tires are to blame for 660 deaths and 33,000 injuries on the road each year.