ACPAC Modernization Act Adds Ticket Agents to Aviation Consumer Protection Board, Formalizing Their Seat at the Table

The ACPAC Modernization Act is a short, targeted piece of legislation focused on tweaking the advisory committee that helps the government figure out how to protect air travelers. This bill updates the composition of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC), which is the group that hands out advice to federal regulators about making flying less of a headache for consumers.

The main event here isn’t a grand overhaul, but a specific addition: the bill formally adds “ticket agents” as a required category of member on the ACPAC. Previously, the committee included representatives from airlines, consumer groups, airports, and disability advocates, but this change ensures that the people who actually sell the tickets and deal directly with customer issues are guaranteed a spot (Section 2). Think of it as making sure the people who know how the booking process actually works—and where the friction points are—have a direct line to the regulators.

Why This Matters for Your Next Flight

For most people, the technical changes in Section 2—which mainly involve swapping commas for semicolons and periods for commas in the existing law—don’t mean much. They are just cleaning up the existing legal language (Section 2). The real-world impact comes from adding ticket agents. When this committee meets to discuss things like baggage fees, cancellation policies, or how to handle flight delays, having a ticket agent in the room means the discussion includes the perspective of the people who process the transactions and field the immediate consumer complaints.

This move is designed to make the committee’s recommendations more grounded in operational reality. For example, if the committee is considering a new rule about how flight changes are communicated, a ticket agent can provide immediate feedback on whether the proposed system is practical or if it would just create more confusion and longer hold times for customers. It’s about ensuring that the advice given to the Department of Transportation isn't just theoretical, but actually workable when you’re trying to book a trip or fix a problem on the fly. Ultimately, better-informed advice to regulators should lead to better consumer protection policies for everyone who flies.