Hello Travelers,

As October begins, I want to take a moment to thank you for the role you continue to play in the growth of Affordable Skies.

September was an exciting and meaningful month for our community. We brought traveler feedback to Washington, participated in important aviation consumer protection discussions, hosted another wonderful Virtual Social, welcomed new Ambassadors, connected with partners and supporters, and continued developing educational resources for air travelers.

Your survey responses, questions, stories, and support help shape this work every step of the way. Thank you for being part of Affordable Skies and for helping us bring traveler perspectives to the table.

Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to.

Your Voice Heard in Washington and the Aviation Industry

Over the past several weeks, many of you have shared your views through Affordable Skies surveys on airfare price advertising, airline customer service information, seat size and legroom, and other elements of the flying experience. Your continued participation helps us better understand the issues that matter most to air travelers.

Early in September, we met with consumer advocates and officials from the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. We discussed topics affecting air travelers and heard different perspectives from those working in consumer advocacy and aviation.

Later in the month, I participated in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee meeting as the committee’s Consumer Representative. During the two-day public meeting, we discussed several topics that directly affect air travelers, including passenger rights information, airline customer service dashboards, and how travelers can more easily find the information they need when they fly.

Here’s where your participation made a difference.

Nicole Bier, Vice-Chair of the Affordable Skies Board, presented findings from our surveys and analysis of your feedback to this committee. The information you shared helped us bring real traveler experiences and concerns directly into discussions at the Department of Transportation.

This is why your participation in our surveys is so important. Your responses help to inform our research and advocacy, giving us valuable information to share with policymakers and aviation leaders. Please continue sharing your experiences through future surveys so we can continue bringing your perspectives to the table.

We'll keep you informed as the committee's work progresses and share relevant updates from these discussions.

A Great September Virtual Event

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our September virtual event. Our featured speaker was John Pepper, Chief Commercial Officer at BermudAir. John shared his perspective on the airline industry, offered a look at what’s going on behind the scenes at BermudAir, and answered questions from our attendees from across the country.

Thank you to Southwest Airlines for sponsoring two round-trip tickets for our September giveaway! And congratulations to our winners, Judith Ross and Nancy Sloan!

Our Ambassador Team Continues to Expand

We're excited to welcome new members to our growing Ambassador program!

Our Ambassadors come from a variety of backgrounds, but they share a desire to connect with travelers and support the work of Affordable Skies. Throughout the year, they help with outreach, surveys, events, traveler stories, educational resources, and more.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming an Ambassador, simply reply to this email, and we’ll set up a call.

Thank You to Our Partners and Supporters

We’re also grateful to welcome the new partners, sponsors, and supporters who are helping Affordable Skies grow. Their support helps us conduct research, develop educational resources, host events, reach more travelers, and continue our work. We appreciate their trust and look forward to building these relationships.

Coming Soon: Know Your Rights Before Your Flights

What happens when your flight is canceled? When are you entitled to a refund? What should you know about baggage, airline policies, or filing a complaint with the Department of Transportation?

Know Your Rights Before Your Flights is a new Affordable Skies educational series designed to help you answer these and many other questions as well as provide practical information to help you navigate air travel. Affordable Skies Ambassador Kerlann Flowers, Esq., is leading the development of this new resource, which will launch soon on the website with new articles and resources added regularly.

Affordable Skies Connects with ConsumerAffairs

We're excited to share that Ambassador David Milliron and I recently answered questions from a ConsumerAffairs writer for an upcoming article on air travel.

This is another opportunity to share traveler perspectives and help inform a broader audience about issues affecting the flying public. The article is expected to be published toward the end of October, and we look forward to sharing it with you once it's available.

Join Us for Our October Virtual Social!

Our next Virtual Social is Thursday, October 22, at 8:00 PM ET.

These gatherings are an opportunity to hear directly from industry guests, gain insight into different areas of aviation, and connect with other travelers. They’re informal, informative, and always free to attend. Grab your favorite drink or snack and join us from home. RSVP LINK



Thank You for Being Part of Affordable Skies

Whether you joined us for a virtual event, completed a survey, shared a traveler story, volunteered as an Ambassador, supported our work, or simply followed along this month, thank you for being a part of the Affordable Skies community.

Please feel free to reach out anytime - we enjoy hearing from you!

Safe Travels,

Jennifer C Rykaczewski

Founder & CEO, Affordable Skies