In a first of its kind move, a US federal regulator has agreed that an airline could apply part of its fine to buy tablet devices to better track its compliance with consumer protection rules.
Today the US Department of Transportation fined Delta Air Lines $750,000 for having failed to obey regulations, including not telling passengers they had a right to compensation if they agreed to be bumped to later flights.
Under the decision, $425,000 of the fine can be used by Delta to buy tablet devices to better track the airline's future compliance with regulations that require airlines to provide incentives to passengers when asking the passengers to voluntarily switch to later flights.
The tablets -- which can be any brand -- must contain software that monitors the airline's procedure for when flights are oversold and proper consumer rights procedures must be followed.
The airline has 18 months to buy the tablets, which can be any make or model, and put them into action.
BusinessWeek has learned that it is "the first time a DOT consent order has included tablet purchases to help an airline comply with the rules."
Delta has been fined repeatedly for violations of rules around involuntarily bumping passengers since 2009.