Senator takes aim at ‘runaway’ airline fees

Monday, 24 Feb, 2016 0

Senator Richard Blumenthal is urging Transportation Department officials to finally get tough with airlines over ‘hidden and runaway’ fares.

In a letter addressed to DOT secretary Anthony Foxx, Blumenthal wrote: "It is time for the Department of Transportation to crack down on continued unfair and deceptive charges by airlines."

Blumenthal cited projections by the International Air Transport Association that airlines will nearly double profits to $33 billion in 2016.

"Yet the price of an airline ticket remains sky-high and out of reach for far too many Americans,"

Specifically Blumenthal asked for a probe on the way airlines calculate fees, often with loyal customers hit hardest.

"There have been reports of consumers seeking to redeem loyalty miles only to be hit with hundreds of dollars in confusing charges at check out," he said.

Blumenthal said DOT rules imposed in 2012 prohibited airlines from imposing more fuel charges if they were not linked to the cost of fuel, but airlines simply evade this.

"These seem to be the same bogus charges, simply by a different name. This anti-consumer practice shrouds the true cost of airfares and can deceive consumers searching for the best deals."

Blumenthal specifically called out Delta Airlines and British Airways for their ambiguous wording regarding fees.

On Delta’s website it says on some international routes it has ‘carrier-imposed surcharges stated separately from the base fare, which may be up to $650 each way.’

"By failing to define the surcharges, airlines appear to escape any responsibility for explaining how they came up with these amounts," he added.

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TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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