American's Safety Violations: Should We Be Worried?

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com, a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told the American Airlines bankruptcy court that it might seek penalties of up to $156.5 million for safety breaches, reports USA Today.

Certainly, any safety breaches serious enough to warrant big fines are potentially troublesome to travelers. But the FAA didn’t specify any of the individual claims, so nobody can tell exactly how serious they might be. And for now, that $156.5 million figure is something of a place marker, filed in advance of the pending cutoff date for claims filing, to make sure that the FAA can remain in on the action as the case proceeds.

Potential passengers should take some comfort in the fact that many safety fines are based on paperwork problems rather than actual physical problems, and that they are often negotiated down to low levels as long as an airline promises to take corrective action. Regardless of the bankruptcy provisions, the FAA would have grounded the airline or some of its planes rather than assess fines had the safety violations been truly critical.

American’s current and potential passengers should certainly be aware of the problem, but they should also note that the FAA issued only notices of future fines rather than calls for immediate action.

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