Airline Fees Forced Out of Hiding

by  Suzanne Steinert | Mar 25, 2010
Plane in the sky
Plane in the sky / undefinedundefined/iStock

Score another point for flyer rights! Earlier this week, the Senate passed a provision to the same FAA bill that restricts runway delays to 3 hours (starting next month) that will require airlines and online travel agencies to now clearly disclose all taxes and fees associated with the cost of a ticket. That means no more pesky hidden fees. Period.

The law applies to arbitraility tacked-on costs like holiday surcharges, plus luggage and seat assignment fees – all of which have multiplied exponentially over the last few years as airlines have scrambled to keep bottom-line ticket prices low in the face of rising fuel costs. The problem (as we all know) is that often these fees are woefully lacking in up front clarity on the flyer’s end -- tucked so discreetly into the bottoms of contracts and purchase agreements that confused consumers need a magnifying glass to notice them (or, worse, pop up when you least expect them) – making deciphering your actual airfare seem like a fool’s errand.

Here's hoping airlines honor the full disclosure ruling, and don’t react by dreaming up whole new strategies for eluding flyers when it comes to their favorite pecuniary pet cause.

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