A United States court of appeal has temporarily blocked the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new rule on upfront fee disclosures for airlines.
Several airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue joined Airlines for America, an aviation advocacy body, in taking legal action against the department in May, as reported in Travel News.
According to Reuters, the court heard the group’s complaints and granted the industry’s call for a temporary block of the new law, saying that the rule, likely exceeded DOT’s authority and would irreparably harm airlines.
The new rules would have required airlines and agents to disclose all costs and policies for checked bags, reservation changes and service fees alongside base airfare costs.
The matter must now be reviewed and will be scheduled for another hearing. A representative from the DOT said: “Nothing in the court’s decision prevents airlines from voluntarily complying with this common sense rule that simply requires them to keep their customers fully informed.”