Washington,
D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is asking airlines to extend their offer to
waive change penalties for passengers traveling to Mexico. In a letter to
airlines executives, Senator Gillibrand requested that passengers be given
until June 1 to change their travel plans without facing financial
penalties.
The
letter was sent to the CEOs of the following airlines: Delta, Northwest,
American, Continental, US Airways, United, and JetBlue.
Text
of the letter below.
Dear Airline Executive,
In
response to the H1N1 Influenza, also known as “Swine Flu”, the United States
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a travel health warning urging
American citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico. My office has
received numerous calls from New Yorkers with travel plans to Mexico concerned
about their family’s health and safety. In response to these health
concerns, your airline has issued a temporary waiver in change fees for
customers traveling to and through Mexico, a decision I applaud.
Just
yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the health alert from a
Phase 4 to a Phase 5 as the number of reported cases in United States and
around the world continues to rise. As this situation continues to
evolve, I believe that an extension of that waiver through June 1, 2009 would
provide travelers with more time to adjust their travel plans if they so
choose.
I
thank you for your attention to this request and urge you to take action as you
continue to monitor the situation.
Sincerely,
Kirsten E. Gillibrand
U.S. Senator