Dec 20 -- Comment period extended to January 23, 2023.
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-27416
1) Oct 20 -- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees
The Department proposes to require U.S. air carriers, foreign air carriers, and ticket agents to clearly disclose passenger-specific or itinerary-specific baggage fees, change fees, and cancellation fees to consumers whenever fare and schedule information is provided to consumers for flights to, within, and from the United States. The Department also proposes to require these entities to clearly disclose passenger-specific or itinerary-specific fees for adjacent seating whenever fare and schedule information is provided to consumers traveling with young children on flights to, within, and from the United States, and make these fees transactable. The Department further proposes to require that carriers provide useable, current, and accurate information regarding baggage fees, change fees, cancellation fees, and adjacent seating fees if any to ticket agents that sell or display the carrier's fare and schedule information. This rulemaking implements the Executive order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which directs the Department to take various actions to promote the interests of American workers, businesses, and consumers, including considering initiating a rulemaking to ensure that consumers have ancillary fee information at the time of ticket purchase.
Comments on the NPRM must be received by December 19, 2022.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-22214 [21 pages]
2) Sept 26 -- Biden-Harris Administration To Announce New Effort to Save Americans Money and Spur Competition on Air Travel [press release]
Today, at a meeting of the White House Competition Council, President Biden will announce the release of a new proposed rule that would significantly strengthen protections for consumers by ensuring that they have access to certain fee information before they purchase their airline tickets. Under the proposed rule, airlines and travel search websites would have to disclose upfront—the first time an airfare is displayed—any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or cancelling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage. The proposal seeks to provide customers the information they need to choose the best deal. Otherwise, surprise fees can add up quickly and overcome what may look at first to be a cheap fare. . . .
At today’s White House Competition Council meeting, President Biden will applaud the Department of Transportation’s action and call on all federal agencies to use their powers to expose and limit fees to help save American families money. The President will discuss how similar unfair, hidden fee practices plague customers in other industries as well—such as internet provider fees and bank and credit overdraft and late fees.
“Airline passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This new proposed rule would require airlines to be transparent with customers about the fees they charge, which will help travelers make informed decisions and save money.”
Under the Department’s proposal, U.S. air carriers, foreign air carriers, and ticket agents (third party sellers of air transportation and online “metasearch” sites that display air travel options) would be required to clearly disclose passenger-specific or itinerary-specific baggage fees, change fees, cancellation fees, and family seating fees to consumers whenever fare and schedule information is provided to consumers for flights to, within, and from the United States. These fees would be required to be displayed as passenger-specific or itinerary-specific based on the consumer’s choice. Because seat availability and fees can fluctuate frequently, the Department is also proposing to require carriers and ticket agents to enable consumers traveling with a young child to purchase the seats with the fare at all points of sale.
The Department further proposes to require that carriers provide useable, current, and accurate information regarding baggage fees, change fees, cancellation fees, and adjacent seating fees for families traveling with young children, if any, to ticket agents that sell or display the carrier’s fare and schedule information. . . .
The Department encourages members of the public and interested parties to submit comments on this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NRPM). Comments must be received within 60 days of the date the notice is published in the Federal Register.
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-harris-administration-announce-new-effort-save-americans-money-and-spur
3) WSJ, Airline Fees Are Baffling. The White House’s Fix Is a Long Shot. A just-released Biden plan aims for cost transparency, but a similar effort nearly a decade ago went nowhere
https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-airline-fees-buttigieg-dot-11664306755?st=799z11nubvwcyn4&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink