In the News
Daily Traveler predicts DOT will demand more transparency on airline fees In the News • January 2nd, 2013
Barbara Peterson of Conde Nast’s The Daily Traveler blog included this prediction in her What to Expect from Air Travel in 2013 post: The Department of Transportation will demand more transparency on airline fees But at least if you have to pay those fees, you may get more upfront disclosure about what they are. Airlines [...]
Dallas Morning News: Federal transportation officials eyeing more regulation of airline fees In the News • October 19th, 2012
The Dallas Morning News has an excellent article on consumers’ frustration with airline ancillary fees, the inability to understand the full all-in (fares+fees+taxes) cost of travel, and how the Department of Transportation is looking at a new rule to address the current market breakdown: The Transportation Department is considering whether to force airlines to disclose [...]
Why ancillary access matters to your business In the News • October 3rd, 2012
American Society of Travel Agents VP of Industry and Consumer Affairs John Pittman has an excellent opinion piece in Travel Weekly about how the airlines refusal to share ancillary fee information with global distribution systems is hurting travel agents’ ability to best serve their customers: For decades you have relied on the GDSs to do [...]
ABC 40 News – Hidden Fees for Flying Cost Travelers Big Bucks In the News • August 20th, 2012
The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation recently released a survey of fees charged by airlines flying out of Logan International Airport. ABC 40 News of Springfield filed this report on the results:
Daily Beast column points to need for fee transparency In the News • August 1st, 2012
A column in the Daily Beast by Consumer Reports travel journalist Bill McGee notes the need for greater transparency of airline fees: Last week a comprehensive study from IdeaWorksCompany found 50 major international airlines posted $22.6 billion in ancillary revenue last year. So comparing current airfares to prices from 5 or 10 years ago quickly [...]
USA Today – Flight price comparison fight ramps up In the News • August 1st, 2012
USA Today has an excellent story highlighting Open Allies fight to bring greater transparency to airline ancillary fees, regardless of where consumers choose to purchase their tickets: But consumer advocates, travel agents and the companies that provide ticket-price comparisons argue that the government needs to force airlines to provide the data so customers can compare. [...]
USA Today column urges greater airline fee transparency In the News • July 25th, 2012
In a guest column appearing in USA Today, Consumer Reports contributing editor Bill McGee makes a strong case for increased airline fee transparency: The real problem for consumers is apparent whether you’re flying a low-cost carrier or a full-service airline: No matter what channel you choose to book your flight, you should have immediate access [...]
Charlie Leocha talks about airline fee transparency with CNBC In the News • July 25th, 2012
Watch Charlie Leocha of the Consumer Travel Alliance talk with CNBC about the need for greater airline fee transparency, particularly for consumers who purchase their travel through online sites like Expedia and Orbitz.
New York Times – Fees on Top of Fees Obscure Cost of Flying In the News, Uncategorized • July 24th, 2012
Today’s New York Times has an interesting article on the increasing number of airline ancillary fees and how they can make calculating the true all-in cost of a ticket difficult for even travel professionals: Another issue, and one that drives corporate travel managers to distraction, is that the cost of business travel is not easy [...]
Interactive Travel Services Association responds to misinformation about GDSs In the News • July 19th, 2012
In a letter to the editor published in Travel Weekly, Interactive Travel Services Association President Joseph Rubin responds to misleading claims about GDSs, the essential technology that makes airfare comparison shopping possible. The fact is, GDSs pioneered transparency in the airline marketplace, enabling agents and, through them, consumers to compare airline fares and schedules efficiently, [...]