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HANNI TOPS INFLUENCE LIST

Travel Weekly Taps Air Travel Advocate

(Los Angeles, CA) Travel Weekly Magazine... considered by many to be the most influential voice for the nation's travel industry... has named Kate Hanni as one of this year's most influential people for positive changes in the travel industry. "I was honored and surprised to be included with such an illustrious group of people," said Hanni in a phone conversation from her home in the California Wine Country. "This is so gratifying to me personally and to everyone who has worked so hard to make a real Airline Passenger Bill of Rights a national priority." Hanni's coalition of airline passenger advocates is the largest in the nation, with almost 22,000 members. She shares the Travel Weekly honors with former VP and Nobel Laureate Al Gore and Virgin Atlantic Chairman Sir Richard Branson, among others.

Hanni gained national prominence after a horrifying and well-publicized nine hour stranding ordeal on an American Airlines jet in Dallas in December of 2006. From testimony before Congress to numerous appearances on the national TV talkshow circuit, Hanni became a strong and passionate advocate for the "little guy" in his and her struggle against the airline goliaths. "Basic human needs... like toilette paper, working toilettes, food and water go unmet in these airline stranding incidents. And no matter what the big airline PR departments want you to believe...the problem is not getting better. The problem is getting worse." Hanni has a wide selection of airline stranding "horror stories" from here own personal experience on that famous American Airlines flight and from numerous coalition members. "People get desperate... they panic. We have reports of fist fights on board stranded aircraft, police arrests, people vomiting... toilettes overflowing into the aisles. Human beings should never be treated this way." Hanni contends that airline greed is the real problem and she is adamant in her belief that it will take a national Airline Passengers Bill of Rights to rectify the situation. "Airline industry attempts at these band aid solutions is way too little... way too late. This is going to take the active involvement of our Federal representatives to finally take a stand for everyone who travels. The honor from Travel Weekly Magazine will definitely help with our efforts as we look for national passage of the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights this coming legislative session."



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