The Issue
The U.S. Senate’s version of the FAA reauthorization bill included a provision authored by U.S. Senators Markey and Blumenthal that would have regulated airline pricing. The provision, initially rejected by the Dept. of Transportation, was known as the Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Act.
Supporters contended the FAIR Fees Act would have benefited consumers, but in reality, it would have forced airlines to abandon the successful business model that has made commercial air travel the most affordable it has been in over 20 years.
The CCC’s Response
Having directed all its efforts towards raising awareness about the potential harmful repercussions of the FAIR Fees Act, the Consumer Choice Center (CCC) succeeded in reaching out to the American people in printed articles in the Washington Examiner, FEE, Newsmax, FlyerTalk, and Consumer Affairs.
In addition, the Consumer Choice Center talked to some leading experts in the airline industry in order to back up its pro-consumer position against the regulation in place and produced a short video targeting average Americans who would have been affected by the FAIR Fees Act.
The Impact
The FAA reauthorization is off to the White House, after the Senate voted 93-6 to clear the legislation without the FAIR Fees Amendments. Airlines can keep offering modularized services to different passengers with different preferences and price sensitivity. This is a win for consumer choice and competition in the airline industry.