by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:25 AM ET, Tue November 21, 2023
The United States Senate announced it would conduct an investigation
into airline fees for baggage, seat selection, ticket changes and other
services.
According to Reuters.com,
Democratic Senator and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chair Richard
Blumenthal said fees are confusing and often hidden.
Blumenthal and his team have requested a detailed breakdown
from the major airlines in the U.S.—including American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit
and United—about why the fees were implemented, how much they make each carrier
and the cost to supply each service.
“U.S. airlines increasingly charge ancillary fees that
obscure the actual cost of air travel," Blumenthal told Reuters. “These
itemized fees are often not disclosed to customers until well into the ticket
purchasing process or after a ticket has been purchased, making it difficult
for customers to know the true, total cost of a ticket and comparison shop
prior to purchase.”
In his research, Blumenthal found data that suggested the
top eight airlines in the U.S. collected around $4.2 billion in fees for seat
selection. In addition, total revenue from baggage fees increased from $4.9
billion to $6.8 billion between 2018 and 2022.
Last year, the U.S. Transportation Department proposed new
rules that would require carriers to disclose fees for baggage, ticket
changes and family seating from the first time an airfare is displayed onsite.
The Department of Transportation is working to approve the
new regulations in early 2024.
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