The effort of Airlines For America, the powerful airline lobby group that has succeeded in circumventing DOT rules for fare disclosure appears to have backfired.
The intense lobby of this group with the congressional Transportation Committee, led by Chairman Bill Shuster aimed to reverse the progress made by DOT for fare transparency by allowing airlines to advertise base fares without taxes, surcharges, and an assortment of bewildering fees.
The DOT shot back at the airlines' effort by proposing to go beyond the current required transparency, proposing that airlines must also disclose clearly all the charges such as additional fees for baggage and seat assignments and what the actual name of the regional carrier that is operating a flight. Passengers, travel management companies and online booking agencies will finally be able to tell what the final cost of the ticket will be, something that has been purposely kept scattered and can only be accessed through airline websites.
Consumer groups and advocates applauded the DOT efforts in bringing badly needed transparency to airline pricing, allowing travelers and travel management companies to have access to accurate price comparisons.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox stated: ""The proposal we're offering today will strengthen the consumer protections we have previously enacted and raise the bar for airlines and ticket agents when it comes to treating travelers fairly". www.premieretravel.com
The intense lobby of this group with the congressional Transportation Committee, led by Chairman Bill Shuster aimed to reverse the progress made by DOT for fare transparency by allowing airlines to advertise base fares without taxes, surcharges, and an assortment of bewildering fees.
The DOT shot back at the airlines' effort by proposing to go beyond the current required transparency, proposing that airlines must also disclose clearly all the charges such as additional fees for baggage and seat assignments and what the actual name of the regional carrier that is operating a flight. Passengers, travel management companies and online booking agencies will finally be able to tell what the final cost of the ticket will be, something that has been purposely kept scattered and can only be accessed through airline websites.
Consumer groups and advocates applauded the DOT efforts in bringing badly needed transparency to airline pricing, allowing travelers and travel management companies to have access to accurate price comparisons.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox stated: ""The proposal we're offering today will strengthen the consumer protections we have previously enacted and raise the bar for airlines and ticket agents when it comes to treating travelers fairly". www.premieretravel.com
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