Legislation over fees flies on by airlines

WASHINGTON — A Senate panel approved an aviation policy bill Wednesday after a partisan fight overwhether airlines gouge consumers with fees for basic services like checked bags, seat assignments and ticket changes.

The Senate commerce committee approved by voice vote a bill to continue the Federal Aviation Administration’s authority to operate through Oct. 1, 2017. That authority is due to expire onMarch31.

The committee’s Democrats, led by Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., tried to add a provision to the bill to prohibit airlines from setting unreasonable fees and direct the Transportation Department to establish what is reasonable. The amendment failed ona party-line tie vote.

Consumers are being “gouged” by excessive fees, but they don’t have any choice but to pay them if they want to get to their destination, Markey said.

“There is some really bad behavior going on here, particularly in those routes where there is no competition and they can get away with whatever they want to do because there is no alternative,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

Republicans said the provision would be burdensome for airlines and that market forces should determine fee prices.

“No one here can argue fees aren’t unpopular,” said Sen. John Thune, RS.D., the committee’s chairman. “However, it’s not up to the federal government to determine when fees are unreasonable.”

Rather, consumers should determine that through comparison shopping, Thu ne said.

Nick Calio, president of the trade association Airlines for America, has criticized the provisions as “taking steps backward toward reregulation.”

Market forces are working in some cases because airlines like Southwest try to attract customers by not charging fees, said McCaskill. But she added, “The airlines need to take notice that the flying public is really upset here.”