Biden fights over fees charged for flights, hotels and tickets

WASHINGTON. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden hit airlines and hotels, calling on Congress to limit certain additional fees they charge consumers.

“These unfair fees add up,” he said, speaking before a meeting of the White House competition committee.

Biden said Congress should limit airline seating fees charged to families trying to sit together, so-called resort fees that many hotels now bill, excessive service fees for tickets for concerts and sporting events, and transfer fees. or cancellation. Internet, cable or cellular.

“Some airlines charge extra for seat selection, including for parents who just want to sit next to their child on the plane,” Biden said. “They charge extra – although you don’t know what’s going on – and that’s not right.”

A spokeswoman for Airlines for America, the trade group that represents the largest US carriers, said its members, including American, United, Delta and Southwest, do not charge for family accommodations, although some low-cost airlines do.

Major airlines are “going out of their way to ensure that passengers traveling together, especially those traveling with children, can accept passengers without additional fees, and consumers are offered a wide range of options at the time of ticket purchase, including various seating options,” a spokeswoman said. Marley Collier. .

Congress previously directed the Department of Transportation to review airline seating rules and consider ways to ensure that children under 14 are seated with an older family member at no extra charge. Last July, the department issued guidance urging airlines to do so “to the fullest extent possible.”

Biden has also targeted hotels for adding resort fees “which can be over $50 a night you check out.”

A spokesman for the American Hotel and Lodging Association stated that 94% of hotels do not charge a resort fee. For those who do, “it covers unique and tangible amenities such as food and drink credits, special events, access to pools and beaches, transportation and spa services,” spokesman Kurt Kashur said.

As for ticket fees, Democrats and Republicans on a Senate committee last week called for more transparency after Ticketmaster canceled the public sale of Taylor Swift concerts.

Separately, Biden touted a new regulation proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that he said would cap credit card late fees from an average of $31 to $8.

The White House says a law passed under the Obama administration allows the bureau to regulate excessive credit card fees, while other Biden proposals would require congressional approval, which could be difficult due to opposition from the business community.