Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a multi-state coalition urging Congress to allow state attorneys general to enforce airline consumer protections, citing thousands of complaints about refunds, cancellations, and poor customer service, with airlines often citing federal preemption to avoid state intervention. Examples include American Airlines refusing refunds during the pandemic, highlighting the need for stronger penalties and enforcement.
In-house legal teams should review customer-facing agreements such as ticket purchase terms, conditions of carriage, and service contracts for clauses related to refunds, cancellations, and dispute resolution. Specifically, examine refund policy language for clarity and timeliness, cancellation terms for fairness, and any federal preemption clauses that might limit state enforcement. Also review enforcement mechanisms and service level commitments. Consider amending contracts to include explicit state attorney general enforcement rights, clearer refund procedures, and limitations on preemption defenses to align with proposed passenger bill of rights and stronger consumer protections.
Entity
American Airlines
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2022-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-fights-to-protect-airline-customers
naag policy letter airline accountability and increased cons
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2022/naag-policy-letter---airline-accountability-and-increased-consumer-protection-final_38-ags.pdf?rev=b88c82dd82894045a472352700058da8&hash=670E39F23C53D05C89C73FBE5EAAEC69
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
$2.0M
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of four other states and the FTC sued Zillow and Redfin after Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to shut down its multifamily rental advertising business and transfer clients to Zillow. The settlement requires the companies to restore competition, with Redfin rebuilding its apartment advertising business, and pay $2 million to the coalition.
Attorney General William Tong sent a letter to the Connecticut Insurance Department urging rejection of double-digit rate increases sought by Anthem, ConnectiCare, and UnitedHealthcare for individual and small group health insurance plans covering about 220,000 people. The letter argues the rates exceed inflationary measures and criticizes the carriers for failing to control costs and for poor claims system management, particularly ConnectiCare's transition to Molina Healthcare.
$275K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $275,000 settlement with TaxAct, an online tax preparation company, over allegations that between January 2018 and December 2022, TaxAct improperly disclosed detailed customer financial information to Meta and Google through third-party tracking technologies without notifying taxpayers. The settlement requires TaxAct to pay $275,000 and implement new third-party tracking compliance measures, including a review committee, written policies, a tag monitoring system, and two independent third-party audits.
$4.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and the Federal Trade Commission announced a $4 million settlement with Manchester City Nissan (Chase Nissan LLC) resolving allegations that the dealership double-charged for 'certified pre-owned' vehicles and collected unauthorized junk fees. The settlement requires payment for consumer redress, prohibits misrepresentations, mandates clear disclosure of the maximum total price, and requires express informed consent for all charges.
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and DHS to block demands for the personal information of 17 million CDL drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data transfer.
Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 10 attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a new OCC rule that preempts state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on homeowners' mortgage escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC ignored federal court decisions and bypassed safeguards, and seeks to block the rule.