The Transportation Department said Monday it will defend the rule to crack down on what it calls “hidden junk fees.”FILE - A Delta Air Lines plane leaves the gate on July 12, 2021, at Logan International Airport in Boston.that the carriers charge their passengers, saying that a new rule would confuse consumers by giving them too much information during the ticket-buying process.
The airlines said the administration hasn’t shown that consumers can’t get information about fees already. “Airlines go to great lengths to make their customers knowledgeable about these fees,” the trade group Airlines for America said Monday. “The ancillary fee rule by the Department of Transportation will greatly confuse consumers who will be inundated with information that will only serve to complicate the buying process.”
The Transportation Department announced the new rule on April 24. It would require airlines and travel agents to disclose upfront any charges for baggage and canceling or changing a reservation. Airlines must show the fees on the first website page where they quote a price for a flight.“We will vigorously defend our rule protecting people from hidden junk fees and ensuring travelers can see the full price of a flight before they purchase a ticket.