After five years of kicking the can down the road, the 112th United States Congress has agreed on the provisions of the FAA Modernization and Safety Improvement Act of 2012.

The DOT operates at the "will" of the president. If the next president has a pro-airline leaning, the DOT's time frames can change in a heartbeat and we could be looking at 10 hours on the tarmac instead of three for domestic flights and 14 for international flights.

We all know that air travel is never a sure thing. Many flights are delayed or cancelled, for a variety of reasons. But if your flight is cancelled, what do you do? What are your rights?

The fact is that American Eagle was fined for loading 15 aircraft that they knew had no chance of making an on-time departure and for those flights' passengers spending hours on the tarmac.

Unlike the Three-Hour Tarmac Rule and the new rules implemented by the DOT on August 23rd, this proposal is not crystal-clear. The DOT acknowledges that research data to support their allegation of risk is hard to come by.

Children under 13 will not be routinely required to remove their shoes and will not be subjected to intrusive pat downs that touch private areas of their bodies.

Since 9/11, ignorance and misguided paranoia have combined to inspire senseless hate crimes all over America against people who wish only the same peace and safety all Americans desire.

The throng of Spirit charges is astonishing. Take a few minutes to review their Our Optional Fees page. They are actually still charging for carry-on bags.