Airlines sue DOT over new rules requiring disclosure of fees
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Yueke
Tue, May 14, 2024
PHOTO: Yueke
Major airlines have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over new rules that would require carriers to disclose all airline fees — including those for checked and carry-on bags as well as change and cancelation fees — up front.
The suit was filed Friday in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court by carriers Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United along with industry lobby Airlines For America. It alleges the Department of Transportation exceeded its authority in announcing the new rule, calling it an “arbitrary, capricious” change.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the new rule on April 24, saying “healthy competition requires that as a consumer you can comparison shop, which means knowing the real price of a trip before and not after you buy.” The Department of Transportation estimates the rule change will save consumers a half billion dollars each year.
“The ancillary fee rule by the Department of Transportation will greatly confuse consumers who will be inundated with information that will only serve to complicate the buying process,” lobby Airlines For America said in a statement. “DOT’s attempt to regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace is beyond its authority.”
The A4A statement adds: “The DOT ancillary rule is a bad solution in search of a problem.”
DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The suit was filed Friday in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court by carriers Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United along with industry lobby Airlines For America. It alleges the Department of Transportation exceeded its authority in announcing the new rule, calling it an “arbitrary, capricious” change.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the new rule on April 24, saying “healthy competition requires that as a consumer you can comparison shop, which means knowing the real price of a trip before and not after you buy.” The Department of Transportation estimates the rule change will save consumers a half billion dollars each year.
“The ancillary fee rule by the Department of Transportation will greatly confuse consumers who will be inundated with information that will only serve to complicate the buying process,” lobby Airlines For America said in a statement. “DOT’s attempt to regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace is beyond its authority.”
The A4A statement adds: “The DOT ancillary rule is a bad solution in search of a problem.”
DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taylor Swift is officially laying claim to a nickname for a new part of her "Eras" tour -- and while it remains to be seen if it'll amount to anything ... she's at least locking down the rights.
The singer filed a trademark application last week -- and it touches on something she shouted out this weekend during her Paris stint ... namely, 'Female Rage: The Musical.'
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In documents obtained by TMZ ... TAS Rights Management -- a company owned by Taylor -- filed paperwork to trademark the phrase ... which, as the singer explained on social media Sunday, was the theme of her newly added "Tortured Poets Department" set.
While the filing didn't indicate Taylor's plans for the trademark ... it does lay out everything she wants the right to do with the term, including turning into musical recordings, video recordings as well as slapping it onto a bunch of crap for potential merchandise.
The move might be protective ... as some fans have already started to try branding their own stuff with 'Female Rage: The Musical' -- so this could be Taylor blocking the vultures.
A number of shirts and sweatshirts have already popped up on Etsy, featuring the now viral saying and Taylor's likeness from her tour. So, it only makes sense for Taylor to try and monetize on the phrase ... or at the very least, protect her ability to make money off it.
Remember ... Taylor shook things up big time for the European leg of her Eras tour -- introducing at her Paris shows a new intro, a slew of costume changes, and several tweaks to the lineup.
Not only did Taylor rearrange the order in which she performed her different eras, but she also added 7 songs from her record-breaking new album, 'TTPD.'
🚨| "THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT" included in the intro for Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour'! #ParisTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/vt3n3VCMNT
It's clear that Taylor is trying to keep things fresh ... as her tour is running throughout the rest of 2024. Now, in terms of whether we'll see 'Female Rage' manifest into anything more beyond a zippy new catchphrase ... time will tell, we suppose. It has a nice ring to it.
Considering how shrewd of a businesswoman she is ... we wouldn't be surprised to see it brought to life!
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