WASHINGTON — Price transparency on airline tickets could be a thing of the past, as House Republicans push to roll back Obama-era rules that prohibit airlines from advertising anything but their all-in prices, including all required taxes and fees.
But Democrats and consumer watchdogs are sounding alarms, saying the change would be a gift to airlines, who could hide the true cost of airfare behind links or fine print — and increase their profits by getting consumers to spend more.
“This is a bad idea,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League. “Price transparency makes it easier for consumers to comparison shop. … We don’t want to have to do algebra and advanced trigonometry to figure out what it costs.”
“Consumers booking airline tickets deserve to know the full price of a ticket at the start of their transaction to avoid surprise fees and to easily comparison shop,” the three Democrats wrote. “The airline industry is using this must-pass legislation to unravel air travel price transparency laws that have been in place for the last decade.”
Studies have found consumers spend more when the total cost of a purchase isn’t disclosed upfront. “It’s a very simple explanation for why they’re doing it,” Breyault said. “It makes them money.” But the sellers of airline tickets, such as TripAdvisor, Expedia and Booking.com, are on the other side of the debate.
“You can’t comparison shop on the checkout page,” said Laura Chadwick, president and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, which represents the online sellers. “It’s essential to put that information up front, the first place where consumers see the airfare.”
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Article URL : https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-may-make-harder-see-cost-airline-tickets-rcna94145