作者：大卫·谢泼德森
- 摘要
- 公司
- 航空公司称该规则扰乱了客户互动
- 美国运输部（USDOT）称消费者每年多支付5.43亿美元费用
- 2024年航空公司收取73亿美元行李费
- 特朗普政府反对拜登政府时期的航空公司消费者保护规则
华盛顿，2月3日（路透社） – 周二，美国联邦上诉法院同意推翻其去年的一项裁决，该裁决认定美国运输部（USDOT）有权要求航空公司在乘客预订航班时全面披露费用。
美国第五巡回上诉法院在新奥尔良就这一全体法官会议的决定中，撤销了USDOT的规则，并推翻了2025年1月一个由三名法官组成的小组的裁决——该小组曾将该规则发回USDOT重新审查，但同时也阻止了其执行。
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主要航空公司对拜登政府2024年4月发布的一项对消费者友好的规则提出了质疑。该规则要求航空公司和机票代理在预订过程中披露”辅助费用”（如行李费），而航空公司认为联邦法律并未赋予运输部制定此类规则的权力。
上诉法院去年曾表示，USDOT有权制定关于航空公司不公平或欺骗性行为的规则，但指出该部门未遵守程序规则，因此将规则发回USDOT重新审查。
特朗普政府采取了其他措施，放弃了拜登政府的航空公司消费者保护举措，包括要求航空公司为延误航班向乘客支付赔偿。
美国航空（AAL.O）、联合航空（UAL.O）、达美航空（DAL.N）、捷蓝航空（JBLU.O）和阿拉斯加航空（ALK.N），以及行业组织美国航空运输协会和国际航空运输协会（IATA）曾辩称，这项规定将”以巨大代价并在无任何已证实益处的情况下，颠覆航空公司与客户的互动方式”。美国航空运输协会未立即置评。
USDOT在2024年4月发布的规定要求航空公司和机票代理在公布机票价格时一并披露服务费，以帮助消费者避免不必要或意外的费用。USDOT称，2024年消费者每年多支付5.43亿美元费用，这使航空公司从那些在机场临时被要求支付”更高行李费”的乘客那里获得了额外收入。
主要航空公司对提前未支付或在航班起飞前未缴纳行李费的旅客收取更高费用。2024年，几家美国航空公司提高了托运行李费用。2024年美国航空公司收取的行李费达73亿美元，高于2023年的71亿美元。
[大卫·谢泼德森在华盛顿报道，尼克·齐明斯基编辑]
Airlines win challenge to appeals court ruling on consumer fee disclosures
By David Shepardson
- Summary
- Companies
- Airlines argue rule disrupts customer interactions
- USDOT claimed consumers overpaid $543 million in fees annually
- Airlines collected $7.3 billion in baggage fees in 2024
- Trump administration opposed Biden-era airline consumer protection rules
WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Tuesday agreed to set aside its ruling last year that the U.S. Transportation Department had authority to require airlines to fully disclose fees upfront when passengers book flights.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in an en banc decision vacated the USDOT rule and reversed a January 2025 decision by a three-judge panel, which had sent the rule back to USDOT but had blocked its enforcement.
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Major airlines challenged a consumer-friendly rule issued in April 2024 during the Biden administration, which required airlines and ticket agents to disclose “ancillary fees” such as baggage charges during the booking process arguing federal law gave the Transportation Department no power to issue such rules.
The appeals court last year said USDOT had authority to write rules on unfair or deceptive practices by airlines but said the department had not complied with procedural rules and sent it back to USDOT for review.
The Trump administration has taken other steps to abandon Biden administration airline consumer protection initiatives, including requiring passenger compensation for flight delays caused by carriers.
American Airlines AAL.O United Airlines UAL.O Delta Air Lines
Regulations issued by USDOT in April 2024 required airlines and ticket agents to disclose service fees alongside airfares to help consumers avoid unneeded or unexpected fees. In 2024, USDOT said consumers were overpaying $543 million in fees annually, generating additional revenue for airlines from passengers surprised by having to pay a “higher fee at the airport to check a bag.”
Major airlines charge higher baggage fees if travelers do not pay in advance or wait until flight time. Several U.S. airlines boosted fees in 2024 for checked baggage. U.S. airlines collected $7.3 billion in baggage fees in 2024, up from $7.1 billion in 2023.
Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Editing by Nick Zieminski
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