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Recent findings from the committee drew attention to a staggering statistic: five major airlines generated a collective revenue of $12.4 billion from seat fees alone between 2018 and 2023. Senator Richard Blumenthal, chairing the subcommittee, emphasized that these additional fees do not correlate with the actual costs that airlines incur, instead positing that they serve more as a punishment for passengers.
The hearing comes in the wake of a blocked federal appeal, which sought to enforce greater transparency from airlines regarding how they communicate these service fees during the booking process. This ruling has now raised concerns that these additional fees may continue unabated, further burdening travelers.