jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The rules are changing. Airlines will no longer have to tell you about baggage charges when you buy a ticket.

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/airlines-no-longer-disclose-baggage-fees
https://nypost.com/2017/12/08/airlines-wont-be-forced-to-disclose-price-of-baggage-fees/
https://jalopnik.com/trump-scraps-rules-forcing-airliners-to-disclose-baggag-1821127635

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Maybe time to ship your suitcases UPS or equivalent

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Fly Southwest--it doesn’t have any baggage charges for up to two cases--who needs more than that?

repleo Loc: Boston

MAGA HAHA!!

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Use another e-mail address; that’s what I do.

Pegasus Loc: Texas Gulf Coast

Wait a minute here, I'm confused.

The Trump administration scrapped a rule that was not yet in effect, it was a proposed rule.

Lots of airlines have been charging for luggage for years already. If you've flown in the last 5 years or so, you should be aware of that.

The baggage fees have been listed at the various sites and I doubt they will now be removed and hidden.

The proposed rule was to make the airlines state upfront what the baggage fee was going to be and also to produce reports that show how much money they make from such fees. I'm not clear why it was critical or even important to have these reports in the future. I just see that as added government intrusion and unfunded mandates. It takes time and money to produce such reports and on a consistent basis. What was the purpose of these reports?

Scrapping those proposed rules simply means status quo ante and can we get back to the business of flying people to where they want to go?

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Wow! So that's how it is now. The last time I flew Willber gave his seat.

repleo Loc: Boston

One of the purposes of the regulations was to create an 'apples for apples' transparency on sites like Orbits or Expedia. Airlines are already required to disclose information about 'optional' service fees on their websites — but not when passengers are buying tickets online, in person or over the phone. Some of these 'optional' fees are optional in name only. Checked bags are only one 'optional' fee. Some airlines charge for things like paying by credit card, printing a boarding pass or getting a seat assignment. Ryanair even proposed putting 'pay' toilets on their planes. These charges don't come up on an Expedia search until you are half way through the process of booking the flight. The regulations were intended to serve the public interest.
Scrapping the regulations just makes it easier for the airlines to rip off Joe the Plumber and puts more money in the fat cats' pockets - just like Trumps tax 'reform'.

cabunit Loc: SE Connecticut

Sounds like two separate issues to me. 1) Stating what the fees are and 2) creating the reports. So yes, when they're combined into a single "rule" it may, as you say, create an unfunded mandate. But by scrapping the whole rule it conveniently absolves the airlines of stating the fees, which does NOT cost them money directly and keeps useful info from the customer. But of course helping the customer/consumer/patient/average taxpayer is not what the current bunch in DC cares about.