On 26 September, President of the United States Joe Biden announced the release of a new proposed rule that would significantly strengthen protections for consumers by ensuring that they have access to certain fee information before they purchase their airline tickets.
Under the proposed rule, airlines and travel search websites would have to disclose upfront—the first time an airfare is displayed—any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or cancelling your flight and for checked or carry-on baggage. The proposal seeks to provide customers the information they need to choose the best deal. Otherwise, surprise fees can add up quickly and overcome what at first glance may seem like a cheap fare.
This rulemaking is in response to President Biden’s historic Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which established a whole-of-government effort to help lower prices for consumers, raise wages for workers and promote innovation throughout the economy by promoting competition.
Airline passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket. This new proposed rule would require airlines to be transparent with customers about the fees they charge, which will help travellers make informed decisions and save money.
Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Transportation Secretary
Under the proposal of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), U.S. air carriers, foreign air carriers, and ticket agents (third party sellers of air transportation and online “metasearch” sites that display air travel options) would be required to clearly disclose passenger-specific or itinerary-specific baggage fees, change fees, cancellation fees and family seating fees to consumers whenever fare and schedule information is provided to consumers for flights to, within, and from the United States.
These fees would be required to be displayed as passenger-specific or itinerary-specific based on the consumer’s choice. Because seat availability and fees can fluctuate frequently, USDOT is also proposing to require carriers and ticket agents to enable consumers traveling with a young child to purchase the seats with the fare at all points of sale.
The Department further proposes to require that carriers provide useable, current and accurate information regarding baggage fees, change fees, cancellation fees, and adjacent seating fees for families traveling with young children, if any, to ticket agents that sell or display the carrier’s fare and schedule information.
Before the proposal is approved, the USDOT encourages members of the public and interested parties to submit comments on the government’s website. The comments must be submitted within 60 days of the date the notice is published in the Federal Register.
