New Law Wants to End Ridiculous Airline Fares
Airlines are killing themselves by charging fees for everything from checked baggage to changing seats. The new law – a law prohibiting airlines from setting ludicrous (FAIR) charges – aims to keep those charges under control.
The bill (PDF) was introduced this week by Senator Ed Markey (Massachusetts) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) and aims to “prohibit air carriers from charging fees that are not reasonable and proportionate to the costs incurred by air travel. carriers and for other purposes. “
Commissions indicated on the invoice:
any charge for changing or canceling a reservation for a flight in interstate air travel;
any fee related to checked baggage that will be carried on an interstate flight; and
any other fees charged by the air carrier in connection with interstate travel.
The bill itself does not provide any specific details about the restrictions, it simply states that the goal is to create a standard for “assessing whether such charges are reasonable and proportionate to the costs incurred by the air carrier.”
Senator Markey told Consumerist:
Airlines should not be allowed to overcharge captive passengers just because they need to change flights or check a couple of bags. There is no reason to charge consumers a $ 200 fee to resell a $ 150 ticket that was canceled in advance.
You can always contact your congressman to show your support for the bill and check it out at the link below.