Airlines Collected $1.4 Billion From Fees

As the controversy over ancillary fees continues, the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reports that U.S. airlines collected $1.38 billion from baggage fees and reservation change fees in the first quarter of 2011.

The airlines received $784 million from baggage fees and $598 million from reservation change fees in the first quarter, the DOT reports.
These are the only fees paid by passengers that BTS says it can identify separately. All other fees paid by passengers are included in larger categories with other types of revenue.

In July, the DOT issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require airlines to report 16 additional categories of fee revenue in addition to the baggage and reservation change fees to provide additional airline pricing information to consumers and airline analysts.
Major travel industry groups, including ASTA, the Business Travel Coalition (BTC) and ARTA have filed comments on the proposed rules.

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