A temporary injunction has been issued on the Department of Transportation’s forthcoming rule on ‘junk fees’ which would require airlines to disclose all extra fees at the time of booking.
Industry lobby group Airlines for America, which represents Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and others launched legal action in May to block the rule, arguing customers would be confused by the price transparency.
The three-judge panel voted to temporarily block the rule from taking effect on 24 Oct and to expedite a review.
US President Joe Biden has taken aim at airlines and hotels for charging “junk fees” for services including carry-on bags and WiFi, often only disclosing the fee at the final stage of booking or with hotels, at check-in.
US Transport Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said despite the court’s ruling, DOT will continue to defend consumers’ rights to know about surprise fees that increase the price of air travel.
“Nothing in the Court’s decision prevents airlines from voluntarily complying with this commonsense rule that simply requires them to keep their customers fully informed when buying a plane ticket,” Buttigieg said.
