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September 2015

Consumer Panel: Airlines Should Disclose Fees and Seat Size

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by Joan Lowy, Associated Press

Airlines should clearly disclose the cost of change and cancellation fees, as well as the size of plane's seats, before a passenger buys a ticket, a federal panel said Tuesday. Hotels should also be required to include any mandatory fees in their room rates, the Transportation Department's Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections recommended. The panel's recommendation on hotels was directed to the Federal Trade Commission, which has been investigating such so called drip pricing.

Likewise, the four-member panel heard testimony that passengers must search to find the cost of change or cancellation fees that airlines hide in a ticket's fine print. The Transportation Department should require the fees be spelled out clearly so that passengers are informed before a ticket purchase, the panel said. Read the full article in Successful Meetings.