The total cost of flying will get easier for consumers to determine.
Airlines are now required to include taxes and mandatory fees in their advertised fares, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled.
It has been common practice for airlines to advertise base rates that excluded the costs of taxes and government fees, or showed them in a separate category. But the court upheld U.S. Transportation Dept. rules finalized last year that require advertised fares to include any mandatory costs so consumers better understand the total cost of a flight. Airlines are still allowed to break out taxes and fees separately, but those figures can not be displayed as prominently.
Airlines argued that their advertising practices were not deceptive and limited their ability to advertise taxes in any manner they wished violated their first amendment rights. The court disagreed.
Read the court opinion below.
