Airline Rules Target Lost Baggage, Delays .

[SpartanDem]

Source: WSJ

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration said Wednesday it would start requiring airlines to refund baggage fees when luggage is lost as part of new rules that also target ticket surcharges and lengthy tarmac delays involving international flights.

Airlines will now be required to refund any fee for carrying a bag that ends up being lost, the Transportation Department said. Airlines are already required to compensate passengers for lost or damaged belongings.

Airlines also now most "prominently disclose" all potential ticket surcharges—including fees for baggage, meals, seat upgrades and cancellations—on their websites. Airlines are increasingly using such surcharges to boost revenue, saying they give consumers more flexibility in determining the price of their trips. Consumer groups contend the fees often aren't apparent and increase the cost of flying.

The new rules also increase the maximum amount of money that airlines must pay passengers for being involuntarily bumped off oversold flights.



Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704570704576274803203806060.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[elleng]

1. 'saying they give

consumers more flexibility in determining the price of their trips'

:rofl:
:thumbsdown:

[Travelman]

2. LOL! That's really putting a pretty face on it, isn't it?

"Well, sir, if you wanted to be able to actually sit down on the flight from New York to London, you should have actually purchased a seat reservation."
"This ticket cost me $1100! And you want me to pay an additional $250 to actually have a seat for an eight-hour flight?"
"We're just letting you control the price of your ticket, sir. Would you like some peanuts? They're just $8 for a bag containing four peanuts."
*passenger leaps out of plane at 35,000 feet out of sheer frustration*