Congress to Airlines..."We're Customers too!"

When some members of Congress look at the practices of U.S. airlines, they aren't just lawmakers eyeing an industry.
They're customers. And they aren't happy.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing on Tuesday to address concerns over airline customer service. It was prompted by several high-profile incidents, including the violent removal of a passenger on a United Express flight.
But the hearing with executives from four major carriers was wide-ranging. And it was quickly apparent that members of Congress — traveling back and forth between Washington, D.C., and their home districts — are frequent fliers, with very personal feelings on the subject.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., whose home district is in San Diego, said he'd considered, and rejected, two opening questions: "Why do you hate the American people?" and "How much do you hate the American people?"

Committee members complained about seat sizes, about checked-bag fees, about ticket-booking websites, about overbooking and bumping, and rude gate attendants.


"Every time you want to do something, you gotta pay extra," said Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J. "If you want a window, an aisle, you're going to pay extra. If you want a little extra seat in the front, you pay extra. Pretty soon you're going to charge to use the restrooms."

"Sir, we're never going to do that," United Airlines President Scott Kirby said.
Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., said he didn't want to tell the executives how to run their businesses. "I do want to come to you, though, as a consumer," he said — "a consumer who just spent, two weekends ago, 30 hours getting from Washington, D.C., to Minneapolis, Minn."
He said he was stranded at Reagan National airport for a day and a half.
Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen spoke directly to Kerry Philipovitch, a senior vice president from American Airlines, about a recent flight he took on the airline's partner Air Wisconsin.

He called the airline's planes "buses with propellers" with "teeny, tiny awful seats."

"I apologize that you had an uncomfortable flight," Philipovitch said.