Coalition For Airline Passengers Calls On DOT To Mandate True Fee Transparency In New Consumer Rule

This holiday season, the nation's air carriers have a gift for you; a myriad of hidden fees, according to two consumer groups focused on air travel.  These fees are in addition to other charges you paid at the time of ticket purchase, and the coalition says they were entirely concealed from passengers. Two pro-consumer groups, FlyersRights.org and Business Travel Coalition (BTC), along with dozens of corporations and national consumer groups, have joined forces to demand the Department of Transportation (DOT) support restoring true comparison shopping for airline consumers. 

The coalition has kicked off a 30-day public awareness campaign, demanding transparency in airline ticketing and revealing all hidden fees, with the goal of true air travel comparison shopping. "At a time of slow economic recovery, the flying public is being financially damaged by the airlines' refusal to post the hidden ancillary fees next to the base fares so that flyers can compare apples to apples when comparison shopping for air fares," said Kate Hanni, Director Flyersrights.org. 

By December 25, FlyersRights and BTC aim to have 25,000 signatures, thereby pressuring the White House to formally review this request and provide a public response.  The public is called upon to sign a White House "We the People" petition and join the campaign to urge the Administration to require airlines to enact true comparison shopping for consumers. 

"It's outrageous," said Hanni, "these are deceptive pricing tactics that the airlines use to give the flyer the illusion of a lower fare. Airlines use hidden ancillary charges as an indirect way to raise fares in a manner which makes it impossible to predict the total price of a ticket."  Ms. Hanni continued, "Business travelers who have to account for their travel costs have to aggregate all of their receipts in order to get reimbursed, and it's just impossible for them to handle. The hidden fees can raise the cost of a ticket by up to 40%!"

FMI: www.flyersrights.org, http://businesstravelcoalition.com