Write to Senators re: Flyers Rights

Hello Coalition Member!

Firstly, many of you may not have heard from us in a while, and some of you may have heard from us yesterday! Here's the problem, there are people out there that have purposely subverted our email deliveries and hacked into our strandedpassengers.com blogspot and flyersrights.org website, and they continue to do so. But we're fighting back and we're winning! So if this is the first email you are receiving from us ever or in a long time, well that's why. If you want to unsubscribe from these emails, please use the link at the bottom.

The important issue at the moment is that, earlier this week, Canada announced that they passed an airline passengers' bill of rights. By the end of September, the U.S. Congress must pass an extension to the FAA funding bill that may or may not contain passengers' rights language. Which way will it go? Well that's almost entirely up to each of you - believe it or not. They've listened to you before and they'll listen to you again. Here is what you have accomplished:

- Increased bumping compensation - doubled in fact
- Improvements to airline statistics reporting - now they have to report
all tarmac delays, not just a small percentage of them
- Creation of a national task force to address long tarmac delays - no
taxpayer money involved
- Deplanement language in the House and Senate FAA Reauthorization bills
- And a lot more!

Make no mistake, YOU did this. Kate is our point person in Washington and elsewhere, but your letters, faxes, phone calls, etc. are what makes Congress listen to her. And your donations make it possible for Kate to be in Washington to hammer it home! And hammer she does.

So there are really two things we desperately need to ask you for today;

1. We need money! The airlines spent over $23 million last year in federal
lobbying expenses, and they paid over $2 million in donations to politicians. We barely covered Kate's travel expenses, not to mention the unreimbursed expenses incurred by many of our volunteers. And as you know, nobody gets paid for any of this, including Kate. So please donate - http://www.admail.net/url/441843/bd8fb4/

2. Second, we need you to send a letter to both of your senators. We've
provided a template below that is better than the one we sent out previously. If you would like us to send the letter on your behalf, write to kate@flyersrights.com and provide your name and address. We'll send it for you.

That's it. If you want Congress to make sure you or your family aren't sitting on a tarmac somewhere for ten hours, starving, out of diapers, out of water, out of medications, sweating or freezing, then now is the time. We may not get another chance. Donate now at http://www.admail.net/url/441844/bd8fb4/ and send the letter below.

Here's the letter:
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September ___, 2008

Senator (your senator's name)
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

RE: Airline Passenger Rights legislation

Dear Senator:

I am a member of the Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights and a voter in _________ state. I am writing to urge your support for inclusion of airline passenger rights language comparable to that passed by the House (found at H.R. 2881 PCS at Title IV, Sec. 406 and Ch. 423, Secs.
42301, 42302, 418 through 423).

This language provides important provisions that are critical to the health, safety and well-being of airline passengers. Last week, the Canadian government enacted a comprehensive airline passenger rights law that allows passengers to deplane after a 90 minute delay. Surely our government can give passengers similar rights in this country.

Passengers are now sometimes held confined in aircraft for up to 11 hours for the commercial convenience of airlines, and the FAA and DOT have failed to ban or regulate this practice. Starting October 1st, the airlines have announced that they will cut back flights up to 20% making airliners more crowded than ever.

At the very least airline passengers should have the right to exit aircraft safely after 3 hours of confinement in aircraft on the ground.

All men, women and children who fly in the future will thank you for your support today.

Sincerely,


Your name and address


cc Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights (CAPBOR)
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Thanks for your support!

Kate Hanni
Executive Director and Founder
Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights

Please help us to help you. Donate at:

http://www.admail.net/url/441845/bd8fb4/

Or send your check to check to us at the Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, 159 Silverado Springs Drive, Napa, CA 94558

 

Just to make it easy, here is the link where you can submit web forms/emails to the senators:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=VA