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Experts ask: If 'fees are a puzzle,' is it time for warning labels on plane tickets?

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Christopher Elliott, Travelers United


A provision in the Senate version of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act requires air carriers to disclose their baggage fees, cancellation fees, change fees, ticketing fees and seat selection fees "in a standardized format." 

It's unclear whether the labeling provision, which was introduced by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., will become law, but its presence raises some interesting questions. 

Travel Troubleshooter columnist Christopher Elliott. 
(Tribune Media Services)

Chief among them: Why is it so hard to figure out what you'll have to pay for a plane ticket -- and what you're paying for? The warnings would be straightforward, according to lawmakers. 

"As we envision it, the standardized disclosure would be relatively simple and userfriendly, much like the Truth in Lending Act disclosures on credit card solicitations," said Bryan Gulley, a spokesperson for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. 

The timing is right, experts say. 

"Fees are a puzzle for even the most ardent road warrior," says Kerry Mooneyham, a travel adviser for Midwest Travel Solutions, a Missouri travel agency affiliated with the Virtuoso network. 





Seat reservation fees: Airline tickets used to include the ability to reserve a seat. 

No longer. Many air carriers now sell seat assignments at $40 to $70 each, depending on when you make the reservation. While carriers insist that these fees give customers "more choice" in where they sit, they also add to their profits -- for a service many passengers still expect at no cost. About 20 percent of all ancillary revenue comes from onboard services such as seat reservation fees. That was about $5 billion in 2017. 

These are among the worst-disclosed of all fees and account for an unknown portion of the industry's $24.6 billion in ancillary revenue last year. 

All of these fees add up to one big problem: consumers who don't know exactly how much they actually have to pay for their airline tickets. 

Even if the bill did require labels similar to those used by the Food and Drug Administration, what would they say? Maybe: "WARNING: This ticket does not include a reserved seat or a checked bag."
Also, imagine that the labels have to apply across all sales channels -- airline sites, phone reservations, travel agencies, online agencies. Although it's complicated, it's still an idea worth pursuing, says Freddie Julius, chief executive of Tourist England, a site about traveling to Britain. 


"Most companies have a description of services on their websites," she says. "If you're unsure about the charges, it's easy to research them online. Why not do a little research before you book?"
That may be the only option air travelers have -- at least for now.