WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 1999 -- The airline industry is traveling
first class, thanks to the $1.3 million it invested in political
contributions during the first half of 1999, a Common
Cause study indicates.
Most of the contributions -- $982,000 -- consisted of "soft-money" donations to the two major parties. Besides the donations, major airlines spent another $3 million lobbying Congress and key regulators during the first half of the year.
Congress deregulated the airlines in 1978. Since then, they have been freed of most federal oversight and also exempt from state and local consumer protections.
"The airline industry has been given first-class treatment in Congress. Meanwhile, consumers are relegated to third class," Common Cause president Scott Harshbarger said.
Despite a doubling of consumer complaints this year, Harshbarger and other consumer advocate say the airlines and Congress have done next to nothing to improve service.
Congress this year backed away from proposed passenger rights legislation, instead accepting a voluntary industry plan that has no enforcement or monitoring provisions.
"Big money won and the consumers lost," Harshbarger said.
