It could soon be harder to see the full price of a plane ticket. Here's why
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Set us as preferred Travelers are accustomed to seeing an all-inclusive price for airfare when browsing flights online, but they may soon need to read the fine print before purchasing as Washington is trying to change disclosure requirements.The Department of Transportation proposed new regulations last month that would allow airlines to highlight fares without individual components such as taxes.
The change could mislead consumer, marketing and aviation experts said.The existing guidelines were established by the Obama administration to protect consumers from deception.
Business With the war in Iran restricting the oil market and sending prices up, U.S.customers will likely have to shell out more for airfare soon.The Trump administration thinks the policy is too rigid.
The total airfare would still have to be listed in some manner under the new rules.“These proposed changes would ensure greater flexibility in how airfare is displayed,” the Department of Transportation said in its proposal.
The new rules would allow airlines to advertise components of airfare more prominently than the total price.This could mean that the first listed price could be missing major components.
Some critics of the policy warn that airlines could misuse this freedom to entice customers with low base fares and high fees.A recent online search showed that a one-way Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles International Airport to John F.Kennedy International Airport in September cost $168.
The ticket alone costs $142.The higher total was due to taxes and fees, including a U.S.
transportation tax, a U.S.passenger facility charge and a civil aviation security service fee.
Checking bags, seat selection and changing a flight would add further fees.Business Clear blue skies might not always mean smooth flying“The airlines would have more lee...