Skip to main content

Biden to announce new rules for airlines and travel sites to be more transparent about additional fees

Image
By

(CNN) — President Joe Biden on Monday is expected to announce a new proposed rule that would require airlines and travel sites to be more transparent about additional fees that customers could be charged, including for baggage, flight changes or cancellations, a White House official tells CNN.

Under the proposed rule, airlines and travel sites “would have to disclose up front — the first time an airfare is displayed — any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or canceling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage,” according to a draft news release by the Department of Transportation shared with CNN.

At a meeting with top Cabinet and administration officials on Monday, Biden is expected to call on other agencies to take similar action to increase transparency and limit add-on fees for American consumers.

The President will highlight in his speech how companies across industries impose “hidden fees that don’t allow customers to see the full price of what they’re buying,” the White House official said.

“This is going to stop the airlines from hiding the true cost of your ticket, so that when you’re searching you find the actual best deal — saving Americans money and spurring more competition on prices,” one White House official told CNN. “Those fees add up. In 2021, top airlines made nearly $700 million just on cancellation and change fees alone.”

Passengers deserve to know the true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement on Sunday.

“This new proposed rule would require airlines to be transparent with customers about the fees they charge, which will help travelers make informed decisions and save money,” he said.

Airlines for America, a trade group that represents major US air carriers, told CNN in a statement: “A4A member passenger airlines — which are fierce competitors — already offer transparency to consumers from first search to touchdown. US airlines are committed to providing the highest quality of service, which includes clarity regarding prices, fees and ticket terms.”

“A4A passenger carriers provide details regarding the breakdown of airfares on their websites, providing consumers clarity regarding the total cost of a ticket. This includes transparency regarding taxes and government fees on airline tickets, which account for more than 20% of many domestic one-stop, roundtrip tickets.”

Tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays this summer prompted Buttigieg to direct the Department of Transportation to publish a new online dashboard to allow passengers to find comparative information on what each of the large US airlines provides to passengers when delays or cancellations are caused by factors within the airlines’ control. Several major US carriers updated their policies in response to calls from DOT for more transparency. Airlines have struggled with staffing shortages and summer weather.

Monday’s meeting is scheduled to be the third gathering of the White House Competition Council, which was formed last fall and is charged with promoting competition across the US economy and lowering costs for American families. The group consists of eight Cabinet members and the chairs of seven independent agencies.

Meeting participants are expected to include Buttigieg, Secretaries Janet Yellen of Treasury, Lloyd Austin of Defense, Tom Vilsack of Agriculture, Xavier Becerra of Health and Human Services, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Cecilia Rouse.

from Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
Source: https://ift.tt/7oIZvlG
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Virginia family gets keys to Habitat for Humanity’s first 3D-printed home in the US

By
(CNN) — One Virginia family received the keys to their new  3D-printed home  in time for Christmas. The home is Habitat for Humanity’s first 3D-printed home in the nation,  according to a Habitat news release. Janet V. Green, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg, told CNN it partnered with Alquist, a 3D printing company, earlier this year to begin the process. The 1,200-square-foot home has three bedrooms, two full baths and was built from concrete. The technology allowed the home to be built in just 12 hours, which saves about four weeks of construction time for a typical home. April Stringfield purchased the home through the  Habitat Homebuyer Program . She will move in with her 13-year-old son just in time for the holidays. “My son and I are so thankful,” Stringfield said in a  live feed streamed on Habitat’s Facebook  page. “I always wanted to be a homeowner. It’s like a dream come true.” To purchase the home, Stringfield logged hundreds of hours of
Post a Comment
Recent News

Lawsuit: High school football player says coaches forced him to eat pizza as punishment, violating religious beliefs

By
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high school football player who says coaches forced him to eat a pizza covered with pepperoni grease in violation of his religious beliefs is suing his former district and the ousted coaches. The former Canton McKinley High School athlete and his parents filed a federal civil rights suit this week seeking millions of dollars in damages and alleging violations of his religious freedom and constitutional rights. The athlete says in the lawsuit that coaches were notified he doesn’t eat pork or pork residue as a member of the Hebrew Israelite religious faith, but that they ordered him to eat the pizza as punishment for missing an offseason workout — and indicated his spot on the team was at risk if he didn’t. The coaches say the player chose to remove pepperoni and eat the pizza rather than an alternative food. They weren’t aware it violated his religious beliefs, according to a  defamation case they filed  previously against the teen’s father, his attorney a
Post a Comment
Recent News

Bergeron, Pastrnak and Bruins finish off Capitals in 5 games

By
WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak dazzled on offense, Tuukka Rask was rock solid in net and the Boston Bruins are moving on to the second round of the playoffs. Bergeron scored twice at crucial times after Pastrnak’s  highlight-reel  goal, Rask made 40 saves and the Bruins eliminated the Washington Capitals in five games with a 3-1 victory Sunday night. Bergeron delivered the dagger with 7:35 left to set up a second-round showdown against either the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Islanders. Chants of “TUUKK!” emanated from a large group of black and gold-clad Boston fans who were part of the limited-capacity sellout crowd of 5,333. Those were occasionally interrupted by “We want the Cup!” — the trophy the Bruins last won a decade ago after a 39-year title drought. They’re 12 wins away, thanks to their best players dominating in Game 5. Pastrnak made it look easy putting the puck behind his back and through his legs, assisted on Bergeron’s first goal and was par
Post a Comment
Recent News