US Seeks Disclosure of All Fees Fliers Face Matthew L. Waldmay - The New York Times
go to original May 27, 2014

Airlines and travel agents will be required to list fees for services like checked bags, carry-ons and seat reservations so that travelers can compare fares more easily under a proposal announced by the Transportation Department this week.

The proposal would also broaden the definition of “ticket agent,” so that travel websites like Kayak, which help consumers compare ticket prices but do not sell the tickets themselves, would be subject to the same disclosure rules.

“Knowledge is power, and our latest proposal helps ensure consumers have clear and accurate information,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.

Add-on fees for services that were once bundled into the price of a ticket have surged in recent years, and today they make up about 18 percent of a typical airline’s revenue, said Dean E. Headley, an associate professor of marketing at Wichita State University.

Almost all the major airlines now charge for checked bags, with Southwest being the exception. And some airlines take it further, with Spirit Airlines charging for carry-on bags, among a host of other fees.

Read the rest at The New York Times

Photo: TravelPlus.com

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