A group of U.S. senators from both parties strongly criticized the growing fees charged by airlines for luggage and seat reservations during a hearing on Wednesday. They described these fees as unfair and pointed out how passengers are charged differently based on various factors.
“Airlines these days view their customers as little more than walking piggy banks to be shaken down for every possible dime,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat who leads the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, remarked during the session.
Executives from major airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines took part in the two-hour hearing, responding to lawmakers’ concerns.
Blumenthal argued that the airlines are tailoring their pricing models to “discriminate against passengers, and to raise fares and fees for consumers the airline believes will pay more.” He made these comments during the hearing as he discussed how customer-specific pricing strategies were being implemented.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley questioned the practice of airlines charging different baggage fees for passengers on the same flight. “This is Russian roulette,” Hawley said. “Nobody enjoys flying on your airlines. It’s a disaster. … It’s absolutely terrible.”
A report presented by Blumenthal last week revealed that the five airlines in question collectively earned $12.4 billion in revenue from seat-related fees between 2018 and 2023.
While airlines defend the practice, claiming that these fees are meant to offer customers more flexibility by allowing them to pay for only what they need, they do acknowledge that the fees have become an important source of income due to rising operational costs.
Blumenthal’s panel conducted a year-long investigation, discovering that airlines are increasingly relying on algorithms to set their fees. He mentioned that his committee plans to release two more aviation-related reports by the end of the year.
“The fury and frustration on both sides of the aisle was pretty dramatic,” Blumenthal said in an interview with Reuters after the hearing.
Lawmakers are urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to look into airline practices and quickly establish regulations that would prevent airlines from charging families extra for seating together. Some senators also called for the airlines to drop their ongoing lawsuit aimed at blocking new rules requiring the disclosure of such fees.
The senators also criticized the airlines for not being transparent with customers about how fees are disclosed when booking flights, a claim the airlines dispute.
“You charge people fees they know nothing about,” Hawley said. “You harass them to death.”
American Airlines Vice Chair Stephen Johnson responded, stating that airlines must “appeal to the most budget-conscious customers.” Delta executive Peter Carter added that Delta strives to offer “options and value for every customer,” while acknowledging that “fee practices that erode the trust and loyalty of our customers are not in our best interests.”
United Airlines executive Andrew Nocella explained that the airline’s decision to eliminate family seating fees in 2023, along with plans to abolish Wi-Fi fees next year, would result in a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
Blumenthal’s committee found that budget airlines Frontier and Spirit paid $26 million to gate agents and other employees between 2022 and 2023 to catch passengers who failed to pay for required baggage fees or had oversized items.
Frontier staff members received $10 for each bag passengers were forced to check at the gate, and despite intense pressure from lawmakers, the airline declined to discontinue the practice.
Frontier CEO Barry Biffle defended the practice, calling passengers who attempted to evade fees “shoplifters.” Spirit executive Matthew Klein explained that the airline ceased paying employees for catching such passengers on September 30.
Earlier this year, airlines filed lawsuits to block the U.S. Transportation Department’s new rule requiring upfront fee disclosure. Additionally, in 2018, the carriers successfully lobbied against a bipartisan bill that aimed to enforce “reasonable and proportional” baggage and change fees.
