American Joins Delta, Southwest, United and Other US Airlines Push to Strip Away Travelers’ Rights and Add More Fees by Rolling Back Key Protections in New Deregulation Move
American Airlines joins with Delta, Southwest, United, and other US airlines are pushing to remove key protections for passengers and add more fees by rolling back rules, claiming it will lower costs and boost competition, but it may leave travelers with fewer rights and more hidden charges. Under the guise of lowering costs and boosting competition, these changes are likely to result in the erosion of consumer rights – the right to cancel a ticket with an automatic refund, transparency of pricing, and the right to sit with your family on the same reservation. Airlines claim that removing these ‘protections’ will decrease airfare and increase competition on the routes. The prospects for travelers, on the other hand, will likely be more fees, less certainty of receiving the service paid for, and diminished responsibility from the airlines for service failures. If these projections become reality, deregulation will aggravate the air travel experience for the consumer making it more expensive and more opaque.
The Airline Industry’s Deregulatory Push
The U.S. airline industry is pushing for a significant rollback of consumer protections, which many see as a major step backward for air travel. Airline lobbyists, representing carriers like American, Delta, Southwest, United, and the Airlines for America (A4A) association, have laid out a detailed agenda that would fundamentally alter the landscape of air travel, making it more difficult for passengers to know what they’re actually paying for and less likely to receive compensation when things go wrong.
This agenda centers on weakening or eliminating four major consumer protections:
Automatic Refunds for Cancellations: Airlines want to remove the requirement to provide automatic refunds when flights are cancelled or significantly altered. Passengers may instead receive only vouchers or no compensation at all, leaving them without recourse in the event of a major flight disruption. Transparency of Fees: The airlines also aim to strip away rules that require them to disclose all fees (like baggage, seat assignments, and service charges) upfront. Instead of the clear, itemized pricing system that passengers currently rely on, airlines could hide fees until later in the booking process, making the true cost of a ticket much higher than expected. Family Seating Guarantees: Under current regulations, airlines must ensure that families with young children are seated together without additional charges. This would no longer be guaranteed under the new proposal, meaning families could face extra costs just to sit next to one another. Accessibility Protections for Disabled Passengers: The deregulation proposal also targets protections for disabled passengers, weakening their access to support and assistance during air travel.
The Airline Industry’s Argument: Deregulation as a Path to Lower Prices
The airline industry’s argument for deregulation is grounded in a belief that removing these protections will lead to lower prices, more competition, and better services for consumers. Airline lobbyists argue that deregulation, which began with the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, has led to increased competition, lower airfares, and more choices for passengers.
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However, while some might agree that competition can drive prices down, there’s a serious concern that deregulation could lead to more surprise charges and less accountability for airlines. Instead of benefiting consumers, deregulation may open the door for airlines to charge excessive fees for basic services, which are often hidden until later in the booking process. This could leave passengers paying far more than they anticipated and receiving less value for their money.
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