“I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, but Buttigieg clearly hears the airlines’ perspective far more often than he hears from consumer advocates,” McGee said.
That’s clear evidence that the airlines aren’t afraid of Buttigieg, critics say — despite the fact that the Secretary of Transportation has sweeping powers to hold them accountable.
“If Buttigieg had been willing to fine the big airlines, you would’ve seen greater investment in customer service. would’ve held off on a stock dividend,” Jeff Hauser, CEO and founder of the Revolving Door Project told The Post. “Pete could’ve influenced the math airlines did around giving a dividend versus investing in service.”In a statement, a spokesperson for the US Department of Transportation defended the agency’s record under Buttigieg.
Buttigieg has also met repeatedly with industry trade group Airlines For America — which represents Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, jetBlue, Southwest, and United. Consumer advocacy groups, meawhile, only managed to nab one meeting, McGee told The Post.“I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors but Buttigieg clearly hears the airlines’ perspective far more often than he hears from consumer advocates,” McGee adds.
Southwest, Delta, American and United declined to comment. Frontier didn’t return calls requesting comment.REUTERSalleging Buttigieg “failed to respond” to thousands of complaints, was “unable or unwilling” to hold airlines accountable, and left a “vacuum of oversight” letting “airlines to mistreat consumers and leaves consumers without effective redress.”
As of 2023, Delta has 44 lobbyists which cost the company $3.69 million in 2022. The Atlanta-based carrier’s PAC spent nearly $1.1 million in the 2022 midterms — donating mainly to Congress members on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that oversee the agency like Rick Larsen and Sam Graves .
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