Lawmakers have resurrected legislation to rid aviation of ‘ridiculous’ fees as the industry gets back on its feet.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey proposed a new bill to rein in excessive fees which he says hasn’t gone away despite the pandemic.
"If a traveler needs to check a bag, that’s a fee. If a traveler wants real legroom, that’s a fee. If a parent wants to change their seats just to sit near their children, that’s a fee. If a traveler’s plan changes, as they often do, that’s a fee," Markey said.
"We can no longer allow these fees to remain as high as the planes passengers are traveling on."
Markey filed the ‘Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Act, which would allow the U.S. DOT to regulate and cap airline fees.
"To explain why proportionality matters, think about this: Does it really cost an airline $100 more to add one additional suit bag? Of course not," Markey said.
Markey previously filed the FAIR Fees Act in 2016 and 2017.
In 2019, airlines made about $110 billion in fees which is a 400% increase in a decade.
