Several major U.S. airlines, including Delta, American, United, Hawaiian, JetBlue and Alaska, filed a lawsuit against the Transportation Department. The group filed the lawsuit in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, May 10.
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In April, the Biden administration unveiled new rules that apply to checked bag fees. These rules require airlines and ticket agents to be more upfront about fees for seat selection, baggage and changing flight reservations.
According to Reuters, the lawsuit claims that the new rule is “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and otherwise contrary to law.”
Airlines for America, a trade organization that represents several major U.S. airlines, released a statement asserting that airlines already disclose all fees and that the new rules will confuse customers and complicate the buying process.
A study conducted by travel experts at IdeaWorks found that the top 20 airlines in the world collected nearly $118 billion in extra fees in 2023. That number included $33 billion in bag fees.
As of now, the Transportation Department has not responded to the lawsuit. Southwest Airlines did not join the suit.
