Durbin Talks Frequent Flyer Programs, Rail Grants With Secretary Buttigieg
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about federal oversight of airlines’ frequent flyers programs. While these programs may have originated to incentivize and reward true “frequent flyers,” they have evolved to include co-branded credit cards and now often exclusively focus on dollars spent using these co-branded credit cards.
Durbin received an update from Secretary Buttigieg about the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) review into the airline rewards programs in an effort to determine if airlines are using unfair or deceptive practices in running these programs. In an effort to protect consumers, Durbin has sent letters to DOT and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) calling for more oversight and met with CFPB Director Rohit Chopra on the issue.
On the call, Durbin also advocated for additional federal grant funding for Illinois-based transportation projects, including the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP) and Springfield Rail Improvements Project (SRIP).
“Today, I spoke with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to discuss the importance of investing in Illinois’ transportation systems that our residents rely on every day, especially our rail infrastructure,” said Durbin. “Secretary Buttigieg and I also had a chance to talk about the frequent flyer and loyalty programs, and how we can keep a watchful eye on the airlines to better protect consumers.”
In December, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $93.6 million in federal funding for CHIP through the Federal-State Partnerships for Intercity Passenger Rail grant program. The grants will fund several components of the project to modernize CUS. This includes renovating and expanding the station platforms, adding an ingress/egress to improve passenger capacity, bringing platforms in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and improving ventilation systems and air quality for nearly 120,000 Amtrak and Metra weekly passengers. The grants also will repurpose the Station’s mail platform, which has been out of use since 2005, for intercity rail service, enabling CUS to accommodate passenger growth and support long-term rail service expansion across the Midwest.
Durbin has long been a supporter of SRIP. He helped secure more than $90 million in federal funding for SRIP since it began back in 2014, including two awards through the RAISE discretionary grant program—$19.8 million in August 2022 and $13.5 million in November 2021.
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