In a heated Senate hearing, airline executives faced tough questions from lawmakers about the increasing seats and checked bags fees. The contention revolved around the fees levied by airlines for services that were previously part of the ticket price. Senators, particularly Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), expressed frustration with what they termed “junk fees” – charges for seat selection, early boarding, and checked bags.

United Airlines’ chief commercial officer, Andrew Nocella, defended these practices, stating, “Our customers who prioritize affordability have the option to choose a lower-fare product and, in doing so, opt out of paying for additional services that they do not want.” However, this explanation did little to quell the senators’ concerns.

US Senators Questioning Airline Officials Goes Viral

The hearing revealed staggering figures. US airlines raised over $7 billion from checked bag fees alone in the previous year, with American Airlines and United Airlines leading the pack. An additional $1 billion came from ticket change and cancellation fees, though this amount has decreased since the pandemic prompted many airlines to drop change fees.

Even more eye-opening was the revelation that United, American, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, and Spirit collectively amassed more than $12 billion in seat fees between 2018 and 2023. These charges covered everything from extra legroom to aisle seats near the front of the plane.

The session took a surprise turn when Senator Josh Hawley confronted Frontier and Spirit Airlines executives about their employee incentive programs. In a moment that quickly went viral on social media platforms like TikTok, Hawley revealed that these airlines paid their employees $26 million in bonuses for catching passengers with oversized carry-on bags.

@cspanofficial

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) pressed senior airline executives Wednesday on their rising fees for bags and other services. “I mean, you guys do appreciate that flying on your airlines is a disaster, don’t you?” he asked during a hearing held by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “I’m slightly amazed by the general attitude of all of you here. Flying on your airlines is horrible. It’s a terrible experience.” Sen. Hawley questioned the executives on their practice of incentivizing gate agents to catch passengers who try to bring bags onto the plane that are “a little too big,” noting that Frontier and Spirit Airlines paid their agents some $26 million to do so between 2022 and 2023. “I mean, if people want to know why it’s such a terrible experience to fly, this is news for them today,” Sen. Hawley said. “Your airlines are paying millions of dollars to your employees to harass people who’ve already paid.” Matthew Klein, executive vice president of Spirit Airlines, said his company’s job is to “generate the most revenue we can so we can be profitable as an airline.” “We have costs,” Mr. Klein said. “And we have to make sure that we’re above the cost line in order to make sure that we can run a profitable entity.” #joshhawley #senate #spiritairlines #frontierairlines #cspan

♬ original sound – C-SPAN

“If people want to know why it’s such a terrible experience to fly, this is news for them today,” Hawley exclaimed. “Your airlines are paying millions of dollars to your employees to harass people who’ve already paid!” This exchange, captured in a TikTok video by C-Span, garnered millions of views and thousands of comments, with many users expressing shock and frustration at the airlines’ practices.

Another popular video, posted by the Courier newsroom, showcased a particularly tense exchange where an airline executive struggled to define their “algorithm” for setting fees, further fueling public outrage.

Will Airline Fees Continue To Increase?

As the hearing concluded, it became clear that this issue was far from resolved. The Biden administration has been vocal about its desire to crack down on what it considers excessive airline fees. A Transportation Department rule that took effect in October requires airlines to provide automatic cash refunds for tickets and fees when flights get canceled.

However, the airline industry is pushing back. They are currently suing to block another regulation that would require more prominent disclosure of baggage and cancellation fees. The outcome of this legal battle and potential new legislation stemming from this hearing could significantly reshape the landscape of airline pricing in the coming years.

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