Madigan named to new U.S. panel on air passenger rights

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been appointed to a new federal committee that will advise the U.S. transportation secretary on measures to protect the rights of air travelers.

Madigan will head the committee, established by the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 passed in February. It will evaluate current aviation consumer protection programs and provide recommendations to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to improve them.

Recent consumer protections instituted by DOT include a wide-ranging rule issued last year that required airline advertisements to include the full price consumers would have to pay,  disclosure of optional fees and increased compensation for involuntary bumping.

A DOT news release on Thursday noted that Madigan has "established a national reputation for aggressively advocating for consumer safeguards" and noted her office handles 25,000 to 30,000 consumer complaints a year on issues ranging from financial fraud to product safety.