News, Tips & Bargains : DOT Expands Airline Disclosure Rules

For the first time, foreign airlines and travel agents are required to tell passengers, before they buy tickets, who will be operating the flight, under rules recently made effective by the Department of Transportation. The rules are aimed at code-sharing, in which an airline sells tickets that include travel on a partner airline.

Previously, domestic airlines had to orally notify passengers about the plane’s operator, but foreign airlines and travel agents were exempt. As for written notification, airlines and agents must provide it as of March 15, 2000, and tour operators get six more months to conform. The delay came after the industry asked for more time to reprogram reservations software.