Biden airline ‘junk fees’ rule goes down in court

“We just issued a rule requiring airlines to inform you, before you buy a ticket, of fees they will charge you,” Buttigieg said in a social media post reacting to the news.

“Now, the airline lobby is suing us, saying that if you have the right to that information it will ‘confuse’ you. For once, I am speechless.”

A coalition of major airlines sued the Biden administration in May over the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) crackdown on junk fees in air travel. These extra fees can include charges for checked bags, carry-on bags and changing or canceling reservations.

Trade group Airlines for America filed the lawsuit alongside Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corp., Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines. The group argued that the new rule would “confuse” customers and “complicate” the purchasing process.

The department doubled down on its rule in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday, emphasizing that airlines can still “voluntarily” comply with the rule even with the court’s order.

“DOT will continue defending our rule that protects consumers from surprise fees that can unexpectedly jack up the price of air travel,” the department said. “Nothing in the Court’s decision prevents airlines from voluntarily complying with this common sense rule that simply requires them to keep their customers fully informed when buying a plane ticket.”

The Hill’s Lauren Sforza

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