DOT 127-07
Friday, December 14, 2007

News Digest


Consumers Cautioned on Air Tours to College Bowl Games. The U.S. Department of Transportation today reminded air travelers going to this season’s college football bowl games that an operator marketing an air tour package that includes game tickets must have the tickets in hand or have a written contract for the tickets before advertising the tour. If a game ticket is not specifically mentioned in newspaper advertisements or other solicitation material or listed as a tour feature, the ticket is probably not included, the Department cautioned. If an advertisement does not state whether or not a game ticket is included, consumers should ask about it. If a travel agent or other tour representative states that a game ticket is included, the consumer should require at the time of purchase that the game ticket be presented or a written confirmation for the ticket be provided. The Department’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings has issued a notice specifically directed to colleges and other organizations wishing to arrange charter flights to football bowl games, NCAA basketball playoff games, or other special events. The notice, which can be found online at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/guidance.htm, explains the requirements to be followed by colleges or other organizations that plan to charter flights to these events. People may file complaints about college bowl tours that advertise tickets but do not provide them or other violations of the Department’s rules on special event tours by contacting the Aviation Consumer Protection Division through its web-based complaint system at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm,  by voice-mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511. Contact Bill Mosley, (202) 366-4570.

FRA Announces $4 Million Loan to Great Western Railway. The Great Western Railway (GWR) is receiving a $4 million loan from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program.  The GWR, a subsidiary of Omnitrax, is a short line carrier that primarily provides freight service for eleven shippers to and from a 700 acre Industrial Park located between Windsor and Greeley, Colorado.  The loan funding will be used to construct a new track connecting to the Front Range Ethanol Plant, create a new interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad at Greeley, rebuild 2½ miles of track allowing the railroad to safely accommodate more and longer unit trains, and rehabilitate track between Fort Collins and the facility.  Sand, lumber, and grain are the three largest commodities transported by the railroad.  Contact Warren Flatau (202) 493-6024.