Is charging for extra legroom on planes correct? According to US President Joe Biden, this procedure is wrong and racist. In a recent announcement, Biden said airlines forcing air passengers to pay for extra legroom is racist because it hits ‘marginalized Americans and people of color the most.”
Biden’s remarks were made one month after he announced the release of a new proposed law that would require airlines to disclose hidden fees before a customer purchases a ticket.
The regulation will let passengers know all the exact costs in advance and thus can choose the best deal. The department is still working on forcing airlines into giving refunds for services like onboard WiFi that do not work.
“The Department of Transportation is working on rules that would require airlines and travel sites to disclose fees up front, fees like things if you want to sit next to your young child. Well, guess what? Or check your baggage or change your ticket. You’re going to be surprised. They’re going to charge you for that without telling you. Your ticket is going to cost a heck of a lot more. I’m not saying they can’t charge it, but they got to let you know they’re going to charge it. You can make a decision”, Biden revealed that DOT is working on the main points of these new regulations.
“Some airlines, if you want six more inches between you and the seat in front, you pay more money. But you don’t know it until you purchase your ticket. Look, folks, these are junk fees. They’re unfair, and they hit marginalized Americans the hardest, especially low-income folks and people of color. They benefit big corporations, not consumers, not working families. And that changes now”, he added.
The president also announced the federal government is going after bank overdraft fees, and excessive credit card late fees.
For Biden, a new crackdown on ‘junk fees’ is important to ease inflation pressures, including surprise legroom charges that he says affect ‘low-income folks and people of color’ .
The president also suggested the actions being taken could save Americans on Thanksgiving travel.
‘There’s a lot of money,’ he insisted. ‘These are billions of dollars. It doesn’t add up to billions for the individual, but it adds up to $200, $300, $400 for average families.’
