University of Virginia Library

Air Board Ends
Youth Discounts

By Robin Lind

According to a report in the
Wall Street Journal on January 22
the Civil Aeronautics Board has
ruled that Youth Fares are "unjustly
discriminatory" and must be
abolished.

The first youth fare reduction
plan was introduced by American
Airlines three years ago and in th
last fiscal year over 5.8 million
youths made use of the plan which
gives between a one third and one
half discount on the regular fare.

The complaint which triggered
the case was brought by National
Trailways Bus System which
apparently could not compete with
the fares offered by the Airlines on
their reduction plan.

The C.A.B. examiner, Mr.
Arthur S. Present, is reported to
have said that other airline
passengers are "injured by being
required to pay a regular fare.' He
said that he based his decision on
the court rulings that equality
should be paramount and he
interpreted this to mean that
everyone should be required to pay
the regular fare.

In the name of equality all
passengers will now be forced to
pay the higher fare and the airlines,
no longer able to complete their
passenger capacity with youth fare
standbys, must return to the
previous less economical travel
arrangements.

Concern has been voiced that if
this decision is supported, the
action could eventually affect other
discount fares such as those offered
to families and small groups.

The only way to prevent the
Board's decision from going into
effect and thus depriving young
adults of one of their last financial
privileges is for individuals to
contact either their own
congressman or to write directly to
the C.A.B.

The address of the Civil
Aeronautics Board is: 1825
Connecticut Ave. N.W. Washington,
D.C. 20009. In case you do not
have the time to write there is a
Western Union plan which enables
you to send a 15 word telegram
for 90 cents from anywhere in the
United States to your Congressman,
the President, and Vice-President.
The 90 cents may be charged to
one's telephone bill.

The recommendations of the
examiner will become effective on
February 21 automatically unless
there is enough public protest to
warrant a review of the decision.