A new Senate subcommittee report slammed several United States airlines on Tuesday over the fees they charge passengers to pick their seats on flights.
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The report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations highlights that from 2018 to 2023, American, United, Delta, Spirit, and Frontier made $12.4 billion in seat-picking fees.
The fees included seats that have extra legroom and those that are considered “preferred” locations, like seats that are closer to the front of the plane or window or aisle seats, the report highlighted.
The report, released by the chair of the committee, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), highlighted the revenue brought in by airlines, including $1.3 billion for United’s seating fees.
“Our investigation has exposed new details about airlines exploiting passengers with sky-high junk fees,” Blumenthal said. “This report pulls back the curtain on tactics like dynamic pricing that burden travelers and boost airline revenue. I will be asking airlines to justify these practices when they testify on Dec. 4 before my Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. As we head into the Thanksgiving weekend, we regret that travelers will be charged millions of dollars in fees that have no basis in cost to the airlines but simply fatten their bottom lines.”
Blumenthal has called on executives from the airlines to testify before the subcommittee at a Dec. 4 hearing called “The Sky’s the Limit—New Revelations About Airline Fees.”
Airlines have changed their fees in recent years, with most getting rid of ticket-change fees. However, more fees have been added, including for seat selections.
Airlines for America, a trade group that represents the largest US carriers, shared in a response to the report that air travel has become more affordable. It also noted that customers are able to pay for what they want while onboard.
“The report demonstrates a clear failure by the subcommittee to understand the value the highly competitive US airline industry brings to customers and employees. Rather, the report serves as just another holiday travel talking point,” the group said.
Another part of the report included criticism for Spirit and Frontier, which it alleges paid gate agents $26 million between 2022 and 2023 to “catch passengers allegedly not following airline bag policies, often forcing those passengers to pay a bag fee or miss their flight.”
Spirit said in a statement to NBC News it has been “transparent about our products and pricing, our airport policies ensure Guests are treated fairly and equally, and we comply with all tax laws and regulations.”
Frontier also shared with NBC News that its commissions for gate agents are “simply designed to incentivize our team members to ensure compliance with bag size requirements so that all customers are treated equally and fairly, including the majority who comply with the rules.”
The report comes as millions of Americans get ready to travel on what the TSA estimates could be the busiest Thanksgiving Travel weekend ever. Throughout the country, AAA estimates that 79.5 million people will be traveling more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving.
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