Watchdog: Airfares for many travelers rise due to bag fees
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The Government Accountability Office says airlines collected $7.1 billion in revenue from checked bag and changed reservations fees in 2016. Those are the only fee revenues that airlines are required to report to the government.
WASHINGTON >> A government watchdog says travelers who check at least one bag are paying more overall to fly than they did before airlines began unbundling fares in 2008.
The report also says the proliferation of new fees for services means flyers aren’t always able to determine the full cost of their travel and compare prices across airlines before buying tickets.
The Government Accountability Office says airlines collected $7.1 billion in revenue from checked bag and changed reservations fees in 2016. Those are the only fee revenues that airlines are required to report to the government.
A senator, Florida Democrat Bill Nelson, requested the report. He says passengers are soon going to have to show up with what he says is “a bag full of money” in order to board a plane.
