Ember
<font color=blue>I've also crazy glued myself to m
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2005
- Messages
- 3,468
I love it when the news reports on the blindingly obvious! The various fees while flying irritate me to no end, and I'm glad they're talking about putting rules in place to fully disclose all fees at the time of booking, but is anyone really surprised that fees = lots of money for airlines = the airlines like things to be confusing. 
In Canada we haven't been hit quite as hard with the fees as you guys in the US, but I'm sure our time is limited... I read recently that some US airlines were charging fees for checking in, and for early boarding if you have children.
From cnn.com:
In Canada we haven't been hit quite as hard with the fees as you guys in the US, but I'm sure our time is limited... I read recently that some US airlines were charging fees for checking in, and for early boarding if you have children.
From cnn.com:
Washington (CNN) -- U.S. airlines make billions of dollars in fees for check-on luggage, refreshments and other services formerly included in ticket prices, but consumers have a hard time figuring out how much they'll pay in total to fly, a congressional committee heard Wednesday.
The House subcommittee on aviation held the sometimes contentious hearing to consider a U.S. Government Accountability Office report on the fees airlines have charged in recent years on unbundled services that once were considered part of the ticket price.
"Fees for optional services ... are not fully disclosed to passengers at the time of booking," said a summary of the report, which noted that airlines reported revenue of $7.9 billion from baggage fees and reservation change and cancellation fees in calendar years 2008 and 2009.
Witnesses from GAO, the Department of Transportation and associations for air travel and travel agents all urged the government to require uniform pricing information from airlines to help consumers make easy comparisons.
"The government must step in," said Kyle Moore of Sabre Travel Industry Group, appearing on behalf of major travel-agent groups. "We don't believe airlines will do this on their own."
Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said airlines realize more profits from "complexity and confusion" that can cause travelers to pay significantly more for a flight than they thought when they purchased the ticket.
"Had you known that before, you might have made different choices," Mitchell said of consumers.
...
"Fees are a business decision best made by each airline," Ridley said, adding that the federal government should make sure all fees are disclosed to consumers.
Robert Rivkin, the Department of Transportation's general counsel, said government officials are looking at ways to tighten regulations on how airlines inform consumers of such fees.
"We believe that the proliferation of these fees and the manner in which they are presented to the traveling public can be confusing and in some cases misleading," Rivkin said. Published fares used by consumers to choose flights don't "clearly represent the cost of travel when these services are added."
Changes under consideration would require full disclosure of "mandatory" costs, including taxes, fees and other charges paid by all travelers, as well as full disclosure of optional fees for checked bags, seat selection, refreshments, blankets and other services, Rivkin said. In addition, the department might require reimbursement of baggage fees when bags are not delivered on time, he said.
Another witness, Gerald Dillingham of GAO, noted that airlines already have administrative systems in place to provide the pricing information consumers need.
"It would not be free, but it would not be restrictive" for the airlines, Dillingham said.
In a warning to the industry, panel members asked about the possibility of extending the airline excise tax of 7.5 percent charged on airline tickets to the unbundled fees, which currently escape the tax. The tax revenue funds the Federal Aviation Administration.
Baldanza of Spirit Airlines opposed the idea, saying the additional tax could harm industry growth. Ridley of Southwest offered no view on the specific tax in question but said the airline industry already is overtaxed.
The House subcommittee on aviation held the sometimes contentious hearing to consider a U.S. Government Accountability Office report on the fees airlines have charged in recent years on unbundled services that once were considered part of the ticket price.
"Fees for optional services ... are not fully disclosed to passengers at the time of booking," said a summary of the report, which noted that airlines reported revenue of $7.9 billion from baggage fees and reservation change and cancellation fees in calendar years 2008 and 2009.
Witnesses from GAO, the Department of Transportation and associations for air travel and travel agents all urged the government to require uniform pricing information from airlines to help consumers make easy comparisons.
"The government must step in," said Kyle Moore of Sabre Travel Industry Group, appearing on behalf of major travel-agent groups. "We don't believe airlines will do this on their own."
Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said airlines realize more profits from "complexity and confusion" that can cause travelers to pay significantly more for a flight than they thought when they purchased the ticket.
"Had you known that before, you might have made different choices," Mitchell said of consumers.
...
"Fees are a business decision best made by each airline," Ridley said, adding that the federal government should make sure all fees are disclosed to consumers.
Robert Rivkin, the Department of Transportation's general counsel, said government officials are looking at ways to tighten regulations on how airlines inform consumers of such fees.
"We believe that the proliferation of these fees and the manner in which they are presented to the traveling public can be confusing and in some cases misleading," Rivkin said. Published fares used by consumers to choose flights don't "clearly represent the cost of travel when these services are added."
Changes under consideration would require full disclosure of "mandatory" costs, including taxes, fees and other charges paid by all travelers, as well as full disclosure of optional fees for checked bags, seat selection, refreshments, blankets and other services, Rivkin said. In addition, the department might require reimbursement of baggage fees when bags are not delivered on time, he said.
Another witness, Gerald Dillingham of GAO, noted that airlines already have administrative systems in place to provide the pricing information consumers need.
"It would not be free, but it would not be restrictive" for the airlines, Dillingham said.
In a warning to the industry, panel members asked about the possibility of extending the airline excise tax of 7.5 percent charged on airline tickets to the unbundled fees, which currently escape the tax. The tax revenue funds the Federal Aviation Administration.
Baldanza of Spirit Airlines opposed the idea, saying the additional tax could harm industry growth. Ridley of Southwest offered no view on the specific tax in question but said the airline industry already is overtaxed.
. If fares rose and it wasn't an extra "fee" to have baggage, etc., would people even have noticed enough to complain?
