Could US airlines soon be barred from charging parents to sit next to their children? After vocal campaigning from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DoT) over the past few years, President Joe Biden has emphasized his administration’s stance on slashing the “junk fees” leaving parents out of pocket at the airport.
Unexpected expenses
Speaking at the fourth White House Competition Council meeting on Tuesday, President Biden proposed a new bill to cut hidden fees sprung on unexpecting consumers. If passed by congress, the bill will reduce the average junk fee from $31 to $8, extending from general consumer expenses and into the aviation and tourism industry by targeting ancillary airline charges and surprise resort fees.
“Some airlines charge extra to pick your seat, including for parents who just want to sit next to their child on the plane, and charge extra. You don’t know that going in, though. And it’s wrong,” said Biden.
“When you book a hotel, you should see the full cost right then and there, instead of getting hit with what’s called a resort fee - which can be over $50 a night - when you check out.”
According to data compiled by Consumer Reports, in 2018, hotels across the US pulled in $2.9 billion in resort fees and unexpected surcharges, while airline reservation and baggage fees totaled $7.6 billion for the year. Around half of the respondents to the survey reported spending over their budget due to hidden costs associated with air travel and hotel stays.
Changing tides
The Biden-Harris administration has been outspoken on reducing unfair airline fees. Pressure from comments made by Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg led to nine airlines abolishing additional costs for rebooking canceled and delayed services between 2021 and 2022.
The DoT previously issued a notice encouraging US carriers to implement policies that avoid splitting up families without amassing additional costs. While several larger airlines have scrapped such fees and actively work to ensure infants and parents on the same booking are seated together, charges remain with some budget carriers. The federal body keeps a log of current airline policies on its website and additional advice for families.
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Ongoing progress
In October, the DoT floated new legislation to bar domestic and foreign airlines operating in the US from failing to disclose fees before booking. As reported by Travel Pulse, The Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees rule has been backed by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), representing over 160,000 US residents working within the travel industry.
In ASTA’s comments filed for the rule’s docket, executive vice president Eben Peck highlighted consumer frustration with the aviation and tourism industries, potentially leading to a market failure over the hidden fees. Though the group remains cautious over the potential burdens placed on travel advisors and clients.
“ASTA has long believed that consumers deserve full transparency with respect to airfares and optional ancillary service fees, as well as the ability to buy those services regardless of the channel in which they elect to book their travel,” wrote Peck.
“As such, we view the present NPRM as a step in the right direction in that it requires airlines to provide travel agencies with ancillary fee information that is “usable, accurate and accessible in real-time” and requires transactability for some ancillary services, namely those that enable family seating.”
What are your thoughts on the proposed legislation to reduce airline fees? Have you experienced any unexpected costs when traveling? Let us know in the comments.
Sources: Consumer Reports, Travel Pulse