Joe Biden has announced plans to nominate Pete Buttigieg as his Secretary of Transportation. As Mayor Pete re-enters the national fray, I have a number of policy suggestions for his consideration.
Mayor @PeteButtigieg is a leader, patriot, and problem-solver. He speaks to the best of who we are as a nation.
I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because he’s equipped to take on the challenges at the intersection of jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 16, 2020
1o Policy Suggestions For Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
I view Buttigieg as a patriot for his service in Afghanistan and certainly enjoyed listening to him espouse well-reasoned and nuanced policy positions during the Democratic polices, even if we did not always agree.
I have high expectations for him in new role as Secretary of Transportation. He seems to be a fast-learner, but being Mayor of South Bend is a lot different than heading a federal department. Nevertheless, I think he has the distinct possibility of excelling in his new position.
Here are 10 things I would like to see from Secretary Buttigieg:
1. Mandate All-In Pricing For Hotels
A deceptively-low base price that can often more than double once taxes and resort fees are added creates unnecessary consumer confusion. Transparency should the right of a consumer and the obligation of a company that wants to do business in the United States.
2. Pursue Smart Infrastructure Programs
The outgoing administration promised robust infrastructure spending, but failed to make it a priority. Without wasting tax dollars on boondoggles, linking more airports to city centers will help airlines, help consumers, and help the environment. It goes without saying that many roads, highways, bridges, and interstates are also in desperate need of repair.
3. Promote Open Skies
Consumers benefit and carriers are held to a higher standard when they must compete openly not just with their domestic peers, but international peers. The more international carriers that serve the USA, the better. I’d even like to see foreign carriers enjoy permission to operate domestic segments in the United States.
4. Close the Emotional Support Animal Loophole
“Psychiatric Service Animals” may soon be the next generation of “emotional support” animals. Secretary Buttigieg should ensure that nefarious passengers cannot take their misbehaved dogs onboard for free by calling them “service animals.” The latest rules require further tweaking.
> Read More: There’s A New Loophole To Allow Emotional Support Animals On Planes…
5. Be Highly Skeptical Of Any Proposed Airline Mergers
There is more to flying than the price of a ticket and in my humble estimation, consumers always ultimately lose when airlines merge. COVID-19 will likely be seen as a great impetus for further mergers and acquisitions, but the DOT should scrutinize any such action very carefully before even entertaining the thought of further consolidation.
6. Federal Mandate On Masks That Exempts Young Children
Airlines hide behind CDC guidance when asked to defend why a toddler must wear a mask. It’s time for federal standards across all airlines that will stop terrorizing families with young children. We could look to the United Kingdom or Germany for guidance on how to do mask mandates in a smarter way when flying.
7. Protect Consumers Who Book So-Called “Mistake Fares”
The line between what constitutes a “mistake fare” is too tenuous to hold consumers responsible for knwoing. If an airline issues you a ticket, it should not be able to attempt to revise that price upward later on if it later has seller’s remorse.
8. Penalize Airlines For Not Issuing Refunds In A Timely And Transparent Fashion
We’ve seen consumers wait, wait, and wait for refunds during the pandemic. Money should go back out to a consumer just as quickly as it was charged.
9. Tackle Amtrak
My policy prescription is vague, because I just don’t know what to do about Amtrak. On the one hand, Amtrak serves a public good and has great potential. On the other hand, it just loses money…how long should it be subsidized? I don’t have an answer here, but we need a thoughtful but smart approach on Amtrak.
10. Better Regulate Smoking At Airports
I realize this has traditionally been a state issue, but all across the nation I am so sick of having to endure second-hand smoke when I step out of an airport terminal. The DOT should mandate that smoking on curbs is banned but explicitly preempt local ordinances and allow airports to install indoor or outdoor smoking lounges inside the airport. These protect others from second-hand smoke as well as the dignity of those still fighting that nasty habit.
CONCLUSION
There are many things I like about Mayor Pete…and some things I do not. But my differences will not stop me from supporting him in his new role. I wish him well and hope that he will promote accountability and innovation in his new position. No matter your political affiliation, we should wish the same for all of our national leaders.
image: Gage Skidmore
Where’ the legislative authority for DOT to regulate hotel pricing? That’s within the FTC’s jurisdiction.
As for masks, just tell people to fly Delta which already allows young children who cannot wear masks to be exempt from the requirement. Biden has committed to a federal mask rule, so just copy Delta’s approach to medical issues and young children.
I fully concede that one is a stretch and may be best accomplished through other agencies like the FTC. However, I would assert that authority because hotels fall under the broader travel category a more aggressive Department of Transportation might assert jurisdiction over. Plus, airlines sell hotel rooms too.
There are also subsets of the DOT that deal with hotels:
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hotel-related-transportation
Look, bottom line is that Pete is a smart guy and I’d love to see him tackle resort fees too.
1) I’m pretty sure DOT has no jurisdiction over hotel pricing, so not sure how statutorily they could mandate anything about hotel pricing. What makes you think that’s within the DOT’s jurisdiction?
2) The U.S. has signed Open Skies agreements with over 100 countries. Which ones do you think are missing, and which new open skies agreements do you think, in terms of new airlines serving the U.S., would bring added benefits to U.S. consumers that arent already served?
3) You’re seriously advocating cabotage? Where in the U.S., covid aside, do you see such a deficiency in service that we’d actually think this could be a good idea? Cabotage is something that in general is given on a reciprocal basis, so who would we ask for cabotage from so that our airlines could compete with airlines in other countries / regions too?
What is your argument *against* cabotage? Why should the government protect US airlines from competition? Why shouldn’t consumers benefit from competition?
The U.S. market is extremely competitive. Which big markets need more competition, and what exactly are you hoping to see? or are you, as usual, just hoping for an airline with fancy service to come in? Are you willing to pay for that higher level of service? Or do you want the cheap pricing that U.S. airlines give already but with the service? If any airline comes into the market, their service levels will be brought down quickly to deal with the low fare environment that exists in this country.
Also, as noted, these things are given out on a reciprocal basis. So which countries/ regions should U.S. carriers be given access to in exchange for airlines from other countries getting access to our domestic market?
Stating a market is competitive isn’t a justification for blocking future competitors. I’m not sure it’s true, though cabotage alone will hardly solve it. Government-owned airports that grant long-term oligopoly privileges to a handful of airports are a problem. Government-granted slots at a handful of airports are a problem, too – these should be leased for defined periods, not gifted to airlines in perpetuity.
What is the reason why US airlines should be protected from foreign competition? You still haven’t offered one.
We should end the practice of government-granted property rights in slots, and we should allow foreign ownership of U.S. airlines. Neither is a panacea, but there’s no justification for this corporate welfare to private airlines.
I completely hear you regarding your infrastructure comments. That’s something that should be addressed.
I still don’t u der stand why you insist on foreign competition. Why does it have to be foreign? And how certain are you that foreign airlines even want into the domestic US market? Where do you see they need to be and what are you hoping to see from them? We have lots of competition in the US and airlines that are willing to go into markets where there’s opportunity. We have new start ups such as breeze which promise an innovative approach. Just not sure why you insist on the competitors being “foreign” and which foreign carriers would even want to do so or financially be in a position to consider the enormous costs of investing in this market, especially if they’d have to open themselves up to the kind of competition our airlines would insist on bringing to their markets
Jason,
1.) I addressed this one above. Yes, a stretch. Still something I desperately want to see.
2.) Was thinking China in particular.
3.) I think Gary covered it pretty well, but for example, I think QF should be allowed to transport passengers between JFK-LAX. Perhaps, with lower demand due to the pandemic, other carriers like Lufthansa or Singapore might wish to do tag service in the USA. And yes, it should be bilateral…like TWA in Germany back in the day.
Well, China would be interesting. But it’s a reciprocity thing, and the Chinese really don’t want Open Skies. Or at least they have not in the past. That may take some time.
In normal times, Lufthansa and Singapore do quite well on their US flights, and dont need “feed” from a tag. Tags in general, having worked in the industry and knowing the economics of them pretty well, are horrendous uses of assets and never make money. They’re mostly unnecessary today due to the alliances that feed the flights in questions at the gateways. More importantly, they’re increasingly unnecessary due to newer airplanes that can allow for nonstop service between the most in-demand markets. Prior to Covid, QF had been quite vocal about working with Boeing and Airbus to develop airplanes that could negate the need for tags – they planned to fly to NYC and do more London nonstop flying from the big Australian cities. Airlines are moving away from tags, not towards them, unless there’s absolutely no other way to serve a market.
oh, and fyi, I think you mean Pan Am, not TWA, back in the day. Pan Am operated the IGS services between Berlin and various cities in (then) West Germany.
The PanAm interGermany service was due to the unique status of Berlin before the wall fell. Upon German unification, PanAm had the exit the market because it conflicted with EU law (PanAm not being a EU carrier).
I didn’t read all of the details above regarding foreign carriers but one reason the US govt has an interest in supporting US carriers (and thereby prohibits foreign competition on domestic routes) is because US carriers can be chartered to take US troops where they need to go when we go to war. No guarantees Air France and Lufthansa will fly US troops to Iraq when they need to go.
Re Amtrak, why can’t we stop subsidies to the FAA, have airlines pay the full cost, and use that money to pay for Amtrak. Or sell it to DB and have them modernize it.
Thanks for this list Matthew! I hope Pete Buttigieg reads this blog. I am so scared of getting kicked off an upcoming ultra longhaul flight with my 2 year old. Would prefer UA as I am 1K with plenty of Plus Points and availability for upgrade. Delta does not fly to my destination. The trip is a necessity. My daughter refuses to wear a mask and nothing my wife and I do to train her will change that. A few of the other points you have stated also impact me. E.g. I have been waiting for 9 months for a refund from Air Canada.
Saying a market is competitive doesn’t answer the question. I’m not sure it’s true, though cabotage alone will hardly solve it. Government-owned airports that grant long-term oligopoly privileges to a handful of airports are a problem. Government-granted slots at a handful of airports are a problem, too – these should be leased for defined periods, not gifted to airlines in perpetuity.
What is the reason why US airlines should be protected from foreign competition? You still haven’t offered one.
We should end the practice of government-granted property rights in slots, and we should allow foreign ownership of U.S. airlines. Neither is a panacea, but there’s no justification for this corporate welfare to private airlines.
Sorry – somehow I failed to reply to ‘Jason’ and placed this underneath the wrong comment.
He should “tackle Amtrak” by seriously considering the hyperloop. He won’t be able to do much more than develop a feasibility study, route network and estimated costs, but it would get the ball rolling. If the hyperloop is viable, spending money on conventional trains could be a waste.
So if your young child gives me Covid-19 on a plane because they are not wearing a mask, you are ok with that ? I would think a little inconvenience for public health reasons would be ok with you. Young children in East and South East Asia have been wearing face masks for decades. Are Americans so delicate that they can’t wear face masks?
Proper precautions are always a careful risk/benefit analysis. From what I’ve seen, children present a very low risk of transmission. I’m willing to take that chance as a necessary tradeoff to the inhumanity of asking two-year-olds to wear masks.
What gives you any authority or knowledge to make any statements about transmission risks from children? Or anybody, for that matter? What training or knowledge or expertise do you have? Or is it just because you dont feel like it and dont think people should be inconvenienced? You’ve literally given no evidence or support other than, essentially, “that’s just the way I feel about this topic”.
Jason, I know how to read and think beyond media scare-tactics…
https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa1825/6024998
We may eventually discover that many of the Covid-19 sick are not wild partygoers not wearing masks but ordinary people doing too many low risk activities and being unlucky.
Two year olds can wear masks. Good friends of ours have two year old twins. They wear masks all the time. Not a big deal. Our son’s preschool requires kids 3-5 to wear masks all day. When first announced, we were concerned as we did not think our 4 year old would do it, but he adapted quickly and it really has been a non-issue.
If your 2 year old can’t or won’t wear a mask, just don’t fly with them. Really that simple.
How about
1. Free hotel rooms to homeless, paid for by a surcharge on hotel points. 5% of rooms allotted to homeless and not segregated on a low floor.
2. High speed rail between 2 major cities each year paid for by the rich.
3. Require free meals for flights over 3 hours paid for by frequent flyer miles tax.
4. Build light rail to at least 20 airports, paid for by a federal car rental, flight, and hotel tax, which are paid by rich and visiting business travelers
5. Require 33% of rental cars be electric
6. Allow companies to buy into Medicare with workers making less than $17/hour have it free paid for by the Rich.
7. Lower the cost of marijuana by requiring free air shipping. Vaccines also afforded this free air shipping. Paid for by the Rich.
8. Allow religious freedom of 4 wives and bigamy.
You’re missing a massive airline tax to disincentivize such an environmentally harmful mode of transportation – obviously with loopholes for our beloved politicians and their families to avoid paying.
5. The thought of flying to a new city, renting a car, and trying to find charging stations wherever I am going sounds not worth the trouble. I guess you could rent them out to a lot of 1-2 day customers who won’t travel 200+ miles…but it would take a lot more infrastructure for me to bite the bullet on that one. Also you’d probably just end up with most of the electric fleet in CA, as I’m sure 33% of cars in some rural airport couldn’t be electric (again, currently).
So glad you didn’t bring the fact he is gay. Like another blog that thinks this is something special to be called out. I couldn’t care less about his color, ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, religion, etc… As long as the person selected is the best one to do the job that is all it matters. I am tired of this snowflake generation that sees something else in everything.
There is merit in Biden’s selections actually looking like America demographically (unlike you know who)
Spoken like a true racist. Skin color is destiny!
I will believe that when the NBA looks more like America as well. More Asian and Hispanics should play in the NBA…..
Mayor Pete wasn’t chosen because he was gay, he was chosen because President-Elect Biden thinks he’d be a great candidate for the job.
The fact that he is gay; however, is reason for people who are tired of institutional homogeneity to celebrate. There was a time in the not so distant past when being an openly gay man would have disqualified even the most qualified candidates from this position. The fact that it is no longer the case is good for all Americans. Hopefully one day, it truly will be irrelevant
Did you read my post? Nobody should care about anything else other his qualifications for the job. It is a huge mistake to start selecting people by their gender, race, religion, etc… That has absolutely nothing to do with the job. I once worked for a stupid boss that internally she made clear that she was tired of hiring white males to work with her. It was a trading job where usually qualified women are not as available as men. She insisted she wanted “diversity” and wanted a woman of color. She could not find a qualified one for that specific role but hired one anyway. The woman was really nice but clearly not qualified for the job. She survived on that job for a year and was more miserable by the day since she had no idea of what she was doing. After a year she was fired. That was a great example that you have always to hire the best person available for the job no matter who that person is.
I’m tired of Baby Boomers, who have long since left the leadership stage, opining on the younger generations. No generation of Americans has caused more harm to the Nation than the Boomers.
You want foreign carriers operating domestically only because you think this will allow you to fly international business class on more domestic routes (instead of US first class). At least be honest, instead of trying to make me think you care about economy fares being lower.
Actually, if I could take Singapore from LAX-JFK and it was service like an international flight, I would not mind flying economy class. I love SQ Y class.
Theyre not going to be flying that route ever and even if they could they have better things to do with their resources.
Will SIN also fly US troops to war zones? Because it may be necessary if AAL, UAL and DAL all go out of business.
Whaaaat, Matthew? The internet consensus is that Singapore is an evil country that whips you for things like littering, necktie not straight, hair not combed, etc.
You’re actually right. Singapore Airlines is a wonderful airline. If they have labor strife, it is hidden as the FAs are nice and don’t act like the passengers are the enemy.
Knowing how much the airlines need help with anything going forward I personally think an examination of the transit systems in the U.S. need an overhaul. That is specifically international transit. There should be redesigns of airports that allow for people to more easily connect from Europe via the U.S. to places like South or Central America. Most of the world completely avoids transiting through the U.S. given how unseemly it is, especially for premium passengers. Imagine better transits like at Heathrow or FRA and the you could boost traffic overnight.
Many airports were designed with this capability. DFW’s international terminal was designed with this in mind. Miami International Airport had this capability, and Iberia use to operate a transit hub at MIA, stationing a fleet of narrowbody airplanes at MIA that flew to/ from various smaller destinations in Central America, connecting with Iberia’s then-two daily flights from MIA to Madrid. All of this was ended after 9/11, when somewhere in congress or the homeland security department this was stopped for security purposes. Airlines such as United, American, and Delta still tend to carry a lot of passengers from Central/ South America via the US to Europe and Asia, as people from those countries who can go to Europe and Asia do tend to possess the credentials to enter the US, if even for transit. More likely, though, airlines from Europe and even the middle east and Asia simply fly direct to those countries, obviating the need for US transit. I suppose it could be interesting if the rules that were passed after 9/11 are relaxed, but not sure it would yield much given the wide variety of options that are available out there today.
Who is going to pay for this redesign of airports? Airlines own a lot of airport terminals, and a lot of renovations are paid with landing fees.
Also I think US carriers like the fact that they can put domestic and international flights at the same gates, and not have dedicated gates. So unless taxpayers are footing the bill to demolish all US airports and rebuild them like Munich, I doubt airlines would favor this.
In fact, it’s exactly the infrastructure project this country needs. Along with road, bridge and rail. The Government can easily support select airports to get funds to redesign or build new airports where needed. It would be a long term investment and take some years to complete but could easily develop a better infrastructure, easier International transit, and benefit local economies.
LAX is a perfect target. With the ability to funnel Asian traffic through LA to other points internationally it would be ideal. Further, the airport is a mess of a design and awful for residents. I would love to see an entirely new airport project somewhere else in the area with high speed rail links and dedicated highways leading to it. Use MUC or ZRH as a model and imagine the possibilities of becoming a true world class airport deserving of the world’s wealthiest nation.
Dulles could also be redesigned and rebuilt where it is. They have the space and ability to work with the existing footprint and reimagine the entire experience with ease of International transit. And with a dedicated roadway and soon to be metro links it is a natural as an east coast International hub.
Permitting sterile transfer definitely should be a top priority for the US. Airlines, airport operators, and even state governments can choose whether they want to do it- they have business and network effects to gain by such a move, and they should be allowed to gauge the cost/benefit for themselves.
The non-US transatlantic market is served pretty well by a plethora of European carriers, Air Canada works reasonably well for a number of Caribbean destinations, and Aeromexico even sells connections such as AMS-MEX-SCL. However, the transpacific situation can be a nuisance. I don’t buy the ‘they have the credentials to enter the USA’ line; ten years ago, I would have needed to get a US visa if I had been unable to shoehorn the AM NRT-TIJ-MEX flight into my RTW to get me from the Far East to Venezuela (back then it still was reasonably safe to visit)- and I am an EU citizen! Even an e-visa can be too intrusive- and that’s before we think about the rigmarole of having to recheck luggage.
Re 6, I think merger review is a DOJ issue. They were the ones who approved the UAL-Continental merger. I didn’t look up the others, but generally Antitrust review authority is shared by the DOJ and the FTC. Not DoT.
I would like to see exit tracking implemented. Tracking the entry and exit of foreign travelers legally visiting the U.S. has been an unsolvable problem but other countries do it.
Capital infrastructure is desperately needed. Roads, bridges are woefully aging. While travel industry projects are nice we’ve got bigger problems that date back to the 1950s and 1960s.
What i don’t understand is this administration of white Republican males and their supporters of white Republican males is ok with 3000 covid deaths a day everyday as cost of doing business but defends spending undreds billions of dollars every year on airport security theater to protect perhaps a few hundred lives a year.
You can answer this riddle by understanding that white Republican males worship money more than snything else. So the airport security is a way to make money. It’s not that they care about saving lives.
Similarly they are against public health care not because they think the results or care will be substandard but they will lose a lot of opportunities to make money in the loophole and conflict ridden morass that is the american health care system.
Pete buttigieg has already done a great job of showing that white Republican males are pathetic scum but he needs to continue doing this. Don’t listen to their policy proposals as a result of their ideological or business practice but a shameless money grab and a lot of things they do become clear.
What’s with the so called “patriot” nonsense? If he hadn’t served in Afghanistan he wouldn’t have been a patriot?
False patriotism is one of the reasons the USA is where it is today.
Relax. Everyone who works for the betterment of their nation is a patriot.
Does McKinsey work for the betterment of the United States? Does the War on Terror make the nation better? Does collectivism (which Democrats, more strongly support than Republicans) make the nation better?
The term “Patriot” can’t stop being used soon enough.