DOT advisory panel dodges airline fee issue
Skift Take
Airlines shouldn't play games and must fully disclose their fees on airline websites and in advertising, but to require airlines to sell their wares through travel agencies would be a huge step backward.
A DOT advisory committee entertained presentations -- pro and con -- over the last few months on the hot-button issue of whether airlines should be forced to sell ancillary services, such as premium seats and airport lounge access, through travel agencies -- and the panel ducked the question.
Instead, the DOT-appointed Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection issued a vague recommendation encouraging "all participants in the industry -- airlines, distribution systems, and agents -- to continue innovating with respect to transparency and distribution of optional products and services."
[caption id="attachment_32065" align="alignright" width="385"] Priceline, with its seat selection shown above, is the only online travel agency selling American Airlines Preferred Seats. But, Priceline sells them through a direct-connect with AA, and
