American Airlines, five other major U.S. airlines and the D.C. lobbying group that represents all air carriers in the country are suing President Joe Biden’s administration over a new rule that requires airlines to disclose all fees associated with purchasing a ticket.
The plaintiffs, which include, Airlines for America, American, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, filed a lawsuit with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals over the new rule that requires “passenger-specific” or “itinerary-specific” fees to be disclosed to travelers. The Biden administration announced the new regulations last month with rules about cash refunds to passengers.
“U.S. airlines care deeply about the customer purchasing experience from first search to final purchase and invest heavily in their websites and mobile apps to ensure both transparency of all costs and ease of use for each customer with a purchase path tailored to that customer’s specific choices,” said Airlines for America in a statement. “Airlines already provide consumers with complete disclosure of all fees associated with air travel before they purchase a ticket.”
The Department of Transportation’s rule requires “junk fees” or fees charged for checked bags, carry-on bags and changing or canceling reservations to be disclosed to customers upfront.
The White House said the rule is a way to avoid any surprise fees for travelers when they purchase tickets from airlines or ticket agents, including travel agencies.
Travelers are expected to save more than half a billion dollars every year, according to the White House. But the airlines and their lobbying group argue that the ancillary fee rule “will greatly confuse consumers who will be inundated with information that will only serve to complicate the buying process.”