A number of major US airlines are taking legal action against US Transportation Department to block price transparency.
They are suing over the new rule requiring airlines to disclose all airline fees upfront.
Trade group Airlines for America, together with American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, filed the suit against the DOT.
They claim the government doesn’t have the authority to ‘regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace.’
It is ‘arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and contrary to law’ the suit says.
The DOT says it will ‘vigorously defend our rule protecting people from hidden junk fees.’
The Department says consumers are overpaying by about $543 million in fees every year.
The DOT rule states that fees ‘must be individually disclosed the first time that fare and schedule information is provided on the airline’s online platform.’
