When they said “Swifties” could get anything they set their mind on, they meant it. President Biden’s administration has announced a bill that would aid in restricting companies’ ability to impose pointless fees on customers. This is one of Biden’s most proactive acts while in office and has many layers that will affect more than just Ticketmaster customers upset with their inability to see Taylor Swift in concert.
The bill has four parts that collectively will save Americans billions of dollars a year. It is split up into the four types of junk fees that the presidential committee finds important to target; these four categories are excessive entertainment fees, airline fees for families, early termination fees for telecommunications services, and resort and destination fees.
These different types of fees have been deemed significant issues for consumers over the years. Recently though, they have reached a point that has made previously affordable experiences completely out of range for the average American. They will each be targeted in different ways through President Biden’s new bill that will overall help consumers.
The first aspect of the Junk Fee Prevention Act targets concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment tickets that would be purchased on websites like Ticketmaster. Recently, these websites have started adding service fees that are not communicated until the end of the checkout process. These fees also have risen in price amounting to over 20% of the ticket price added on. This is not a feasible price for the average American and has greatly affected ticket sales nationwide. Biden has called for these excessive fees to be prohibited and for any fees to be disclosed with the ticket price at the beginning of the process.
The second aspect of the bill targets airline fees for families that request to be seated together. Most airlines currently charge customers to choose their seats on a plane if they want to be sat together. This makes it difficult for families to travel together when they must pay nearly the plane ticket’s price in fees to ensure their children are sat with them.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has previously attempted to prevent this by issuing a notice that children 13 or under are required to be sat with an accompanying adult, but this has not stopped airlines from continuing to impose fees. The bill calls for Congress to ban the fees, so that the DOT can be more efficient with their screening.
The third part of the Junk Fee Prevention Act is for early termination fees in TV, phone, and internet plans. These fees make it difficult for consumers to change providers or plans by charging astronomical amounts in fees that undermine the competitive market. Basically, the providers trap their customers in agreements that no longer suit their needs. Biden’s plan is to ban these fees and allow the companies to compete on a fair level, while also protecting the customers who are likely not expecting or prepared for these fees.
The last part of the bill will target what are called “resort” or “destination” fees. These are fees found at the end of hotel stays or during the end of the booking process that can amount to almost $50 a night. This makes the price of most vacations inaccessible, and sometimes these costs are not even properly communicated to customers until the end of their checkout. This practice has made hotels billions of dollars and affected more than one-third of travelers in the U.S. The bill will combat these surprise fees by requiring they be disclosed at the beginning of the process, much like the entertainment fees.
Overall, the Junk Fee Prevention Act would work to protect consumers from excessive fees and charges on products that previously did not require them, and ensure transparency from companies that still keep these extra charges. This means that traumatized “Swifties” nationwide can now find an ounce of relief in their next ticket-buying journey knowing the only obstacle will now be each other.