Skift Power Rankings: Pete Buttigieg

Of all the cabinet positions in a presidential administration, Transportation Secretary has never been seen as the sexiest. But Pete Buttigieg, also known as Mayor Pete, has made an often-overlooked department relevant. He’s probably the most high-profile Transportation Secretary in recent times. 

His actions on airline passenger rights and advocating for big infrastructure investments in airports, roads and bridges have made him a rising political star, not to mention one of the most influential voices in the travel industry. 

When Southwest Airlines had a meltdown in 2022, he made the carrier pay one of the largest fines ever. His DOT is now looking into Delta Air Lines after it was last to recover from a worldwide tech outage in July. 

Under his leadership in the Biden administration, the DOT championed a rule to ensure passengers receive automatic refunds when a flight is significantly delayed or canceled. That rule eventually became law, when Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act in 2024. 

His DOT launched the passenger rights dashboard known as flightrights.gov and advocated for a rule on junk fees, which would require airlines to disclose all fees upfront when customers are purchasing a ticket. 

Buttigieg also overseen some of the biggest crises in the airline industry coming out of the pandemic, including an air traffic controller shortage, a pilot shortage and slew of safety issues at Boeing. 

The Transportation Secretary has become a spokesperson for the Biden administration, known for his television appearances on Fox News. In an election year, especially one as unprecedented as 2024, some of Buttigieg’s pro-passenger rights policies are at risk — but many are sure to survive.