Large and small U.S. airlines were criticized by a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday for charging to select seats on flights.
According to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report, American, Delta, United, Spirit, and Frontier earned $12.4 billion in revenue from seating fees between 2018 and 2023. This revenue included seats with additional legroom as well as those in “preferred” locations that are closer to the front of the aircraft, such as window or aisle seats.
According to the study, United’s income from seating fees reached $1.3 billion last year, surpassing revenue from checked bags for the first time since at least 2018.
Despite eliminating ticket-change costs for regular economy tickets, the majority of major U.S. airlines have imposed surcharges for choosing more popular or spacious seats on board. In an effort to boost profits, carriers have also been vying for more premium seats.
For the Biden administration, eliminating so-called garbage fees has been a top focus. The subcommittee’s head, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., stated that airline officials had been asked to testify on the practice during a hearing titled “The Sky’s the Limit—New Revelations About Airline Fees” on December 4.
Customers may now pick what they want to pay for aboard, and air travel has grown more cheap, according to Airlines for America, a trade organization that represents the biggest U.S. carriers.
“The report shows that the subcommittee clearly failed to comprehend the value that the fiercely competitive U.S. airline industry provides to both customers and employees.” Instead, the study is merely another talking point about vacation travel, the organization stated.
Between 2022 and 2023, Spirit and Frontier, two low-cost airlines, were accused in the study of paying gate agents $26 million to “catch passengers allegedly not following airline bag policies, often forcing those passengers to pay a bag fee or miss their flight.”
“Our airport policies ensure Guests are treated fairly and equally, and we comply with all tax laws and regulations,” Spirit said in a statement. “We are transparent about our products and pricing.”
Gate agent commissions are “just intended to encourage our team members to ensure compliance with bag size requirements so that all customers, including the majority who comply with the rules, are treated equally and fairly,” according to Frontier.
