Should the government just ban all junk fees?

The Department of Transportation is starting with seat reservation fees for families

If you hate junk fees, this was a good week for you. Yesterday, the Department of Transportation proposed a new rule that would ban airlines from charging junk fees to seat families together on a flight. And this is probably just the beginning.

The rule, if enacted, would require airlines to seat parents next to their young children for free when adjacent seating is available at booking. The government estimates that the rule would lower the cost of flying with young children, saving a family of four as much as $200 per roundtrip.

It’s part of a long battle that passengers and consumer advocates have waged against “gotcha” fees. (Airlines claim the fees are clearly disclosed, but some passengers have begged to differ.)

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