Airlines make billions charging ‘junk fees,’ congressional report says
CNN
Airlines have raked in billions of dollars by charging extra to select a seat and some airlines paid workers incentives to encourage charging more for baggage fees, according to previously undisclosed data in a new Senate subcommittee report.
Airlines have pocketed billions of dollars in so-called “junk fees” by charging customers extra to select a seat or to carry on bags, according to a Senate subcommittee report published on Tuesday. The report said some airlines have even paid workers cash incentives to identify customers trying to avoid fees for carry-on bags. From 2018 to 2023, five US airlines made more than $12 billion on seat selection fees alone, an “unbundled” cost that used to be included as part of an airline ticket. The report, from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said that in 2023, United Airlines charged as much as $319 for an extra legroom seat, Spirit Airlines charged as much as $299, Delta Air Lines charged as much as $264, Frontier Airlines charged $141 and American Airlines charged as much as $140. “Seat fees have grown more expensive and farther-reaching,” it said. “These five airlines charge passengers extra for additional legroom, aisle and window seats, or even selecting a seat in advance, compelling parents with minor children to pay to sit together.” The 55-page report comes as the outgoing Biden Administration takes a victory lap for its crackdown on airlines by ramping up consumer protections. Earlier this month, the Department of Transportation announced it would begin enforcing a new rule that requires airlines to provide automatic refunds to passengers for canceled or significantly delayed flights.
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