16 STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL WRITE TO DOT REGARDING ABANDONMENT OF TRANSPARENCY OF AIRLINE ANCILLARY SERVICE FEES RULEMAKING
January 12, 2018
On December 19, 2017, Attorneys General from 16 states and the District of Columbia wrote to DOT Secretary Elaine Chao to voice their “serious concern” regarding the Department’s decision to withdraw a rule which would have required airlines and third-party booking services to disclose baggage and other fees prominently at all points of sale.
As reported above, the rule, called “Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees,” was initially proposed by DOT in January of 2017. The letter submitted by the Attorneys General notes that the rule “would have made it far easier for consumers to understand the true cost of their airline tickets[]” and that “[i]t is critical that consumers are able to quickly and easily determine and understand the full costs of their travel to make informed choices[]”. The Attorneys Generals’ letter states that they believe that the Secretary’s decision will frustrate efforts to protect consumers moving forward.
The letter submitted by the Attorneys General does not have a procedural or substantive effect on DOT’s decision to eliminate the rulemaking.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).
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