Major US airlines team up on plan that should alarm all flyers

Most people who travel by plane are satisfied with their experience, according to an Ipsos survey conducted in January of 2024 and reported on by Airlines.org. In fact, just 3% said they were “very dissatisfied," while 44% were "somewhat satisfied" and 27% were "very satisfied."

Still, some points of dissatisfaction include concerns over hidden or "junk" fees highlighted in a recent YouGov survey.

That YouGov survey also made clear that flyers want the government to protect their interests when it comes to air travel. For example, 86% strongly or somewhat supported a law that would require airlines to show the final ticketed price.

Unfortunately, while Americans may like consumer protections surrounding travel, many airlines don’t. 

In fact, a troubling report shows that major airlines are teaming up to push a plan that should cause great alarm among all passengers.

Major airlines want to eliminate important consumer protections

According to Travel and Tour World, virtually every major U.S. airline in the United States has joined forces to push for troubling legal changes. These airlines include:

• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

The airlines want to “remove key protections for passengers and add more fees by rolling back rules,” according to the report.

While the airlines are justifying their regulatory push by claiming legal changes would save on costs for consumers and increase market competition, there is serious concern that if they are successful, their plan would strip travelers of important protections and lead to higher, not lower, costs.

Airlines believe deregulation best serves customers

The airline request for change were made by a major lobbying organization for U.S. airlines called Airlines for America. 

The request was included in a 93-page document submitted to the Department of Transportation. The document can be downloaded from Regulations.gov.

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It explains that the airlines think many regulations should be repealed because the rules are characteristic of "big government with its overreaching regulatory agenda — especially under the administrations of Presidents Biden and Obama."

However, the lobbyists argue that the new Trump administration can correct course:

President Trump’s deregulatory agenda aligns with Congress’s nearly 50-year mandate in the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, [which established a rule that] airlines’ commercial behavior and customer service should be driven by competition, not regulation.

Here are the consumer protections that airlines want to eliminate

The letter outlines some of the key consumer protections that airlines want to eliminate, including:

• Automatic refunds when flights are canceled
• A requirement that airlines disclose all fees up front, including fees for baggage and seat assignments
• A guarantee that young children can sit with their parents without parents being required to pay an additional fee for adjacent seats
• Support and assistance for disabled travelers

Why airlines want the rules repealed

The lobbyists argue that these rules exceed the authority of regulators and were passed by a flawed process. For example, regarding a rule on fee transparency, the letter from the lobbyists said:

It was arbitrary and capricious because the DOT failed to establish that there was a problem that needed solving and lacked support that the rules’ benefits exceeded the costs to consumers.

Some travel experts are alarmed by the airlines' suggestions

Although the airlines may want these rules repealed, not everyone is on board. In fact, in an article about the proposed changes, Travel & Tour World expressed alarm, stating:

While some might agree that competition can drive prices down, there’s a serious concern that deregulation could lead to more surprise charges and less accountability for airlines.

It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will enact these changes. 

However, the DOT under the current administration has already moved to withdraw airline refund requirements, so the airlines may get at least some of their wishes granted. 

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