Trump admin scraps Obama-era proposal requiring airlines to disclose bag fees

[sabra]

Source: The Hill

The Trump administration has scrapped an Obama-era proposal requiring airlines and ticket agencies to disclose baggage fees as soon as passengers start the process of buying a ticket.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) posted a notice on the Federal Register this week that it is withdrawing the proposed rule, along with another plan to force air carriers to disclose how much revenue they make from charging other ancillary fees.

The administration, which has made easing regulatory burdens for businesses a top priority, said the rules would have “limited public benefit.”

...

The DOT’s effort to kill the pair of Obama-era proposals drew ire from Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who has been one of the leading voices in Congress pushing for airline consumer protections

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/363956-trump-admin-scraps-obama-era-proposal-requiring-airlines-to-disclose

[Irish_Dem]

1. Every day he has to reverse an Obama policy. He is obsessed. nt

[riversedge]

13. If it were the old wild west, trump probably puts a notch in his gun. damn!

[Irish_Dem]

14. Oh I am sure he is very happy to destroy Obama's legacy. He is a sadist.

He likes ruining people and causing pain.

Fortunately Obama is such a stellar human being that Trump can never bring him down.

[forgotmylogin]

16. Jesus Christ on a trailer hitch...

Has any other President in history made it clear he's just summarily going down a list going "Nope. Nope. Scrap that. Definitely scrap that. Obama liked that? <furious pen scraping> This protects people? Nope. Nope. Business transparency? Hahahahahaha! <scribble>"

Although we know, 45 never laughs. Unless it's that guttural evil villain laugh you don't ever want to show in public.

[Irish_Dem]

17. I am sure he has a list of Obama accomplishments and is working the list every day.

He gets off on it.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. If Obama had funded the development of a cheap drug that cures cancer in children

Trump would have taken away that funding just because it was Obama that did it.

[dalton99a]

8. I have no doubt.

[DBoon]

27. They've already ended CHIP

defunding a cancer drug would be a minor accomplishment in comparison

[NurseJackie]

3. Dems can start rebuilding in 2028 or 2032 ... when/if we regain control again.

But I don't see that happening anytime soon. We're pretty much screwed with all the voter suppression and court-rigging. It's going to be quite a while. Brace yourselves.

[RKP5637]

5. Sadly, I have to agree 100% with you. The US is going to be/is a shitty place to live. n/t

[SCVDem]

23. I should live so long. nt

[NurseJackie]

24. Ditto! Statistically... I've got 15 years left. Twenty if I'm lucky.

And fewer if I'm unlucky. (I feel lucky.)

I weep for our nation and our nation's children.

[pandr32]

4. He must have asked for a list

tRump is moving through it and eliminating or reversing every line as one of the goals of his so-called presidency.

He is so vindictive and petty.

[RKP5637]

6. The guy is so mentally deranged, while the GOP sits there and chuckles. n/t

[pandr32]

12. As long as they hold power

...they are happy looters.

[RKP5637]

26. Yep, sadly with the GOP that's all it's about. Abusing the country for money and power.

[snort]

7. Up next:

A ban on last names that start with an O but aren't followed by an '.

[Freethinker65]

9. So when/where exactly will we know about extra fees?

At check in? At the gate?

Will sites like orbitz still be able to used to compare flight costs, or will they be useless?

[not fooled]

19. Whern they charge your credit card after you've checked in

You can always take another flight (and pay hefty cancellation fees)!

Huh. I thought the pukes were all for the "free market". Looting from a captive customer who lacks essential information isn't a "free" marketplace.


Typical puke hypocrisy.


Are we winning yet?

[christx30]

20. The fee is probably just going to be folded into the cost

of the ticket from the outset, and you'll never see it. That $200 ticket will be $224. You'll just get a message when you set up the ticket that everyone is allowed 2 bags and 2 carry-ons and that's it.

[kirby]

10. Remember his 'rule'...

He directed his agencies that for every new rule written, 2 must be removed. So plan on seeing this a lot. And if serves the dual purpose of erasing Obama from the history books--bonus!

[pandr32]

11. Airlines should disclose bag fees on their own

It is best to be upfront.

[karynnj]

21. They do, but you need to find the link to get "airline fees"

The idea is to give those costs at the beginning of any process to buy a ticket, rather than to have it come up at the end of the transaction possibly only in the fine print -- leading to unexpected costs at the airport.

[pandr32]

25. I meant they should be more upfront

One should not have to burrow through the fine print.

[karynnj]

15. Why on earth would he think this popular??

Does he realize that this may anger many people who compare prices and are there stunned at the last step to learn that the low fare does not even included a carryon suitcase? I KNOW how much that angered a daughter travelling to a conference she was attending as a PHD student wanting to go as cheaply as possible.

Do any of the comparison sites - like Kayak, Expedia, etc - allow you to specify some "add ons" - like a carryon bag or n checked bags? The trend to nickle and dime on everything makes the search results less useful. If you have one bag you have one bag you want to check, the difference in cost on that could mean that if it were added to the cost - the order of choices (if by price) could really change.

[underpants]

18. He both despises Obama and thinks nothing of peons

Even his rich friends are telling him they don't need some of the crap in the tax bill

[Dave Starsky]

22. Someone please convince this man that Obama...

Made it absolutely illegal to drink half a bottle of liquid drain cleaner.