FlyersRights, the largest U.S.-based airline passenger advocacy organization, released a report card evaluating all 535 members of Congress on their record of protecting passenger rights over the past eight years. No lawmaker received a grade higher than a B. Scores were calculated out of 100 across multiple categories, and not one member earned more than 25 points.
Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights and a member of the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, said the outcome was “no surprise.” The assessment considered a range of factors designed to measure commitment to passenger protections, including financial ties to the airline industry, legislative activity, public statements, and support for specific passenger-rights initiatives. The categories evaluated were:
- Total campaign contributions from the airline industry over the past eight years (maximum 3 points)
- Whether congressional staff agreed to meet to discuss passenger rights (maximum 1 point)
- Whether staff demonstrated support for passenger rights (maximum 1 point)
- Votes cast in favor of passenger-rights measures (maximum 5 points)
- Bills sponsored that advocate for passenger rights (maximum 60 points)
- Bills co-sponsored that advocate for passenger rights (maximum 24 points)
- Whether the member spoke publicly for or against passenger rights (pro: up to 4 points; con: down to -4 points)
- Whether enacted laws were not yet fully implemented (penalty: -0.5 to -1 point)
- Inclusion of passenger representatives in congressional hearings (0.25 to 0.5 points)
- Sponsorship of APBOR 2.0 (up to 10 points)
- Signing a letter to the TSA administrator opposing the allowance of small knives on planes (up to 2 points)
The report card is intended to provide transparency about how members of Congress engage with airline passenger issues, highlighting legislative sponsorship and co-sponsorship, voting patterns, and the degree of direct communication with passenger advocates. Scores reflect both positive actions—like sponsoring or co-sponsoring passenger-rights legislation—and negative factors, such as accepting industry money or speaking against protections.
FlyersRights emphasized that the low scores indicate a widespread lack of meaningful action by Congress to advance passenger protections, despite high-profile incidents and growing public concern about airline treatment of travelers. By scoring each member across multiple dimensions, the organization aims to inform voters and encourage lawmakers to prioritize stronger safeguards for passengers.
The complete report card is available for review on the FlyersRights website.
