Schakowsky, Ocasio-Cortez, Deluzio Introduce Amendment to FAA Reauthorization Act to Protect Consumers from Deceptive Airfare Pricing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) introduced an amendment to the 2023 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act to protect consumers from deceptive airfare pricing. This amendment would remove Section 701 from the act. This section reneges President Joe Biden’s promise to end deceptive junk fees.
“At a time when Americans are traveling more than ever, the airline industry and Congressional Republicans are once again prioritizing profits over people. Currently, the FAA Reauthorization Act would undo a decade-old policy that mandates transparency when it comes to the full cost of an airline ticket,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09). “My amendment with Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Deluzio would erase this proposed roll-back and will protect consumers from deceptive airfare pricing. President Joe Biden has made great progress on hidden fees and this legislation as it stands right now would only take us backwards. The overwhelming majority of Americans support all-in pricing. We must protect consumers from greedy companies.”
“Airlines want to rip off Americans with deceptive, confusing tactics to hide the true cost of flights from customers,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17). “We cannot let the airline industry roll back the clock on decade-old price transparency laws that protect consumers. This amendment would undo these industry-proposed rollbacks and help more Americans avoid hidden fees.”
The Schakowsky/Ocasio-Cortez/Deluzio FAA Amendment has been endorsed by Consumer Federation of America, US PIRG, the National Consumers League, the American Economic Liberties Project, and the Business Travel Coalition.
"U.S. PIRG strongly supports the amendment to retain all-in airline pricing. Air travel has become stressful enough without allowing airlines to hide mandatory charges. Consumers shouldn’t encounter even more confusion and gotcha fees when trying to book a flight. Why would an airline think it’s helpful to travelers to mask certain fees? How could any reasonable person believe it's acceptable for an airline or any other business to disclose only part of the required cost upfront? All-in prices are good for consumers and good for businesses that opt for transparency," said Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog, U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
“It is already hard enough for consumers to make apples-to-apples comparisons when shopping for flights. It should be unconscionable that the airline industry and its allies in Congress would seek to make airfare advertising more, not less, misleading. We urge Members who care about promoting honest competition in the airline industry to support this amendment,” saidJohn Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at the National Consumers League.
"It's bad enough that junk fees are so opaque for air travelers, but now the airlines are attempting to hide even the mandatory taxes and fees that none of us can opt out of when booking a flight," said William J. McGee, Senior Fellow for Aviation and Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. "We fought this fight over a decade ago and that's why currently there's a DOT rule that is both simple and effective. Yet the airlines want to turn back the clock to the earliest days of online commerce, when deceptive pricing was the norm. We applaud Reps. Schakowsky, Ocasio-Cortez, and Deluzio for stepping up to squelch this terrible proposal, whose only aim is to eliminate airfare transparency and deceive consumers."
"Not to mince words, to eliminate the requirement for total fare transparency is a terrible idea on every level. Instead of quick all-in full-fare comparisons, consumers and professional travel advisers will have to spend countless hours clicking on multiple airlines' weblinks to determine total prices,” said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition. “Many consumers will give up during the shopping process and unknowingly pay higher prices to travel. The airlines' singular goal is to drive higher revenues through misleading and deceptive lower base prices, period, full stop."
###