Headline Roundup • May 16th, 2024
Airlines Sue to Block Biden Administration’s Rule on Disclosing Hidden Fees
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Major U.S. airlines are bringing a lawsuit against the Biden administration, aiming to stop a rule set to take effect from July 1 that would require airlines to disclose "hidden junk fees" upfront during the airfare booking process.
The Details: The proposed rule would mandate airlines to reveal additional costs, such as baggage charges and cancellation fees, upfront when the airfare is first shown. Airlines argue that the proposed regulation oversteps the Transportation Department's authority and that they already make significant efforts to inform customers about these fees.
For Context: This administrative decision comes amidst increasing customer frustration over unexpected fees tacked onto the prices of airline tickets.
Key Quotes: The airlines said in a statement that the Transportation Department’s “attempt to regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace is beyond its authority,” adding, “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.” A spokesperson for the Transportation Department stated, “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.”
How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum reporting on the lawsuit similarly. The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) noted that the junk fee law is estimated by the Transportation Department to save passengers more than $500 million per year. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File
U.S. airlines are suing to block the Biden administration from requiring greater transparency over fees 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 U.S. Transportation Department said Monday it will vigorously defend the rule against what it called “hidden junk fees.”
American, Delta, United and three other carriers, along with their industry trade group, sued the Transportation Department in a federal appeals court on Friday, asking the court to overturn the rule.
The...
REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo
Major U.S. airlines are suing the U.S. Transportation Department over a new rule requiring upfront disclosure of airline fees, the latest clash between air carriers and the Biden administration.
Lobbying group Airlines for America, along with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, and Alaska Airlines filed suit against the department (USDOT) in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana late on Friday, according to a copy of the suit seen by Reuters.
The USDOT issued final rules last month requiring airlines and ticket...
Reuters/Jim Vondruska / Reuters Photos
Several major U.S. airlines are suing the federal government in an attempt to thwart new regulations mandating them to disclose all fees, including for things like checked bags or cancellations.
The group of carriers, including Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, United and trade group Airlines For America, claim in the lawsuit that the Department of Transportation (DOT) overstepped its authority with the collection of new rules announced late last month. They called the rules "arbitrary, capricious" and "an abuse of discretion."
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on April 24 two...
