US senators grill airline officials about fees for seats and checked bags

abcnews.go.com:

A U.S. Senate subcommittee has held a hearing to question the growing use of airline fees to charge passengers for things like early boarding and better seats

Members of a U.S. Senate subcommittee took aim at airline executives Wednesday for using an expanding menu of fees to charge customers for early boarding, better seats and other comforts that used to be part of the ticket price.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he thinks the federal government should review and perhaps fine the airlines for their use of what he called junk fees.

Blumenthal, the chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said seat fees were pure profit for the airlines because they don't have to create new seats or incur other expenses by allowing customers to pick where to sit.

Some senators expressed frustration during Wednesday's hearing when airline executives could not explain how they set the amount of various fees. They said the vagaries of airline pricing make it hard for consumers to budget for trips.

“We’re all captives on your airplanes at a certain point. You just say, ‘You want to pick seat? We’re just going to charge you some random amount more,’” Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., said. “It would be good if you guys could be transparent about what you do and why.”

The fees don't seem to be discouraging anybody. Americans are flying more than ever.

The Transportation Security Administration reported screening nearly 3.1 million travelers at airports around the country on Sunday, a new single-day record. The 15 busiest days in TSA history have all occurred this year, with traffic at airport checkpoints up 5% over 2023.

Airline executives bristle at the term “junk fees,” and argue they are merely giving consumers