The complexity of airlines fees may already make you angry: "#@$#%$%^&. " Mad, yes. Too bad. It’s getting worse.
"In most cases, base airfares are defined differently among airlines and thus, have become meaningless. Robust price competition when it comes to ancillary fees does not exist," said Charlie Leocha, director, Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA)
Airline fees have been expanding in number and rising in cost. And they are becoming more time-consuming, says Leocha, in a statement for the group that lobbies for consumers.
Why? One reason is that airlines are starting to turn to yield management systems to maximize baggage and seat reservation fees, a move that will further complicate pricing. This will allow airlines to vary fees even more, based on the day and time of the week, for example.
For nearly half-a-decade consumers have been forced to purchase airline tickets without the complete information (base fares and ancillary fees) necessary to easily evaluate the full cost of air travel, according to Leocha.
His organization is calling for more airline fee information to help consumers make intelligent judgments about the real cost of tickets.
Leocha says that the U.S. Department of Transportation has been considering the problem of opacity in airline fees and has already taken action requiring some disclosure, Leocha says. But he adds it has not been enough.
By David WIlkening
