Airlines Get Break Under U.S. Budget Deal, Not Passengers

[Purveyor]

By Jeff Plungis - Dec 11, 2013

U.S. airlines won a repeal of $380 million in fees they pay for aviation security each year as part of a congressional budget deal that raised related charges on their passengers.

The Aviation Security Infrastructure Fee is to be repealed on Oct. 1, 2014, according to a summary of the deal released by the House Rules Committee today. The Sept. 11 Security Fee paid by passengers on airline tickets will more than double, over the objection of lawmakers who set aviation policy.

“The government and the administration shouldn’t treat airline passengers to be like piggy banks,” House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican, said in a speech in Washington today. “Those of us who fly are paying more than our fair share to reduce the deficit in this country.”

Airlines and their passengers have helped pay for airport security since the Transportation Security Administration was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The agency was allowed to charge carriers annual fees equal to the costs they paid for passenger and baggage screening in 2000.

Airlines paid $380.2 million in fiscal 2012, according to TSA data. The industry paid a high of $572.8 million in 2007.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-11/security-fee-paid-by-airlines-repealed-under-u-s-budget-deal.html

[frazzled]

1. The security fee will rise from $2.50 to $5.60

(per leg, I believe--so from $5 to $10.20 on a nonstop round trip). That's not fun, but it's the least of people's worries with airplane fees--we haven't complained about $25 per bag to check (well, I do, but I also don't check bags anymore), so I doubt people are going to riot over this one.

I don't see why the airlines got a break, though. I hate the airlines. Fortunately, I don't travel that often. Did I say I hate airlines?