Fortunately, Santa Claus doesn’t fly commercial. But this time of year, millions of travelers trying to get home for the holidays aren’t so lucky.

Analysts expect the number of holiday travelers this week to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, but airlines might not be up to speed. They’re dealing with pilot and staff shortages, winter weather and more.

All of that eventually trickles down to at least some passengers, who often complain to the consumer divisions of their state attorney general’s office.

This week, a bipartisan group of 37 state attorneys general, including Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, asked the Federal Aviation Administration to do a better job with consumer protection when passengers and airlines end up in disputes.

The attorneys general asked the FAA to:

—Ensure that airlines advertise and sell flights only if they have adequate staff to fly and support the flight;

—Fine carriers for cancellations and extended delays not related to weather;

—Require partial refunds when a rescheduled flight, accepted by the passenger, is later, longer or otherwise less valuable than the original purchased flight;

—Prohibit airlines from cancelling flights while upselling consumers for more expensive alternative flights to the same destinations;

—Ensure that credits or vouchers for cancelled flights can be used easily without inappropriate limitations;

—Mandate additional compensation to consumers paying additional costs for meals, hotel stays, flights on other airlines, rental cars and gasoline due to cancellations.

Those requests constitute basic consumer protection. The FAA should act.

— Tribune News Service