Live data from Hacker News

US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

travelandtourworld.com

131–140 of 678 posts

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#131
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

If you drove your car across 17 countries in Europe would you expect to pay the same at every station you come across? I don't think what you're saying is even the norm within European countries, is it?

I suspect it’s something about how often in the US, taxes are added to the displayed price at the cash register. That’s not true in Europe, and is jarring when visiting or moving here.

However, this doesn’t apply to gas stations in the US. The displayed price is always inclusive of all taxes and fees. I don’t think there are any states in the US where that isn’t true.

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you drove your car across 17 countries in Europe would you expect to pay the same at every station you come across? I don't think what you're saying is even the norm within European countries, is it?

Big difference is that prices shown include all taxes and other fees.

Gas station prices in the US are always inclusive of all taxes and fees. One of very few products where this is true.

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#133
post #17

> [Elimination of] Automatic Refunds for Cancellations Does this mean when the passenger cancels or when the airline cancels? If it’s when the passenger chooses to cancel, this seems fine and fair: he paid for a flight; he chose not to take it. If it’s the latter, then it seems very unfair. > Transparency of Fees This seems patently unfair. Folks should know what they’re going to be paying ahead of time. > Family Sea…

>On the one hand, this seems fair. If you want to sit together, pay for that privilege. It doesn’t make sense to tax every other passenger for it. OTOH, families are a net benefit to society, so maybe it’s right for everyone else to pitch in a bit. Also, nothing is worse than the folks who didn’t pay up ahead of time who bug one, ‘may we switch seats so we can sit together?’ So perhaps free family seating makes life easier for everyone.

I don't understand, are people buying random tickets and hoping to be put together once on the plane? I've literally only bought assigned seats on flights except on Southwest.

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#134
post #95

> Instead of the clear, itemized pricing system that passengers currently rely on, airlines could hide fees until later in the booking process… They call what we have now “clear”? Where when looking at a page of flights I don’t know how much the multitude of economy/economy+/economy++/premium economy/business/business++ seats will cost until I click on each flight? Where every carrier offers slightly different variat…

[flagged]

Each gas station in America does two things. One they take delivery of gas and they have to factor this with the future price of gas which requires one piece of data to setup the price of gas. The other piece of data is that they determine the price to also factor in demand which is obvious for them. Thats primarily why you can't predict gas prices. They can mess this up this easily.

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#135
post #95

> Instead of the clear, itemized pricing system that passengers currently rely on, airlines could hide fees until later in the booking process… They call what we have now “clear”? Where when looking at a page of flights I don’t know how much the multitude of economy/economy+/economy++/premium economy/business/business++ seats will cost until I click on each flight? Where every carrier offers slightly different variat…

[flagged]

> Every time I paid by cache on oil stations. Sometimes my car was half empty, sometimes it was almost full, but I expected long run. And every time amount I need to pay was completely unpredictable.

How is this any different than filling up a car in any other country?

Gas stations post their prices outside. You should get a feel for how many gallons are going into the tank when it’s half full or mostly full.

The pump shows the price in real time as you’re pumping. You can stop whenever you want. I’m having a hard time believing your story because it’s so clear what your price is by the second as you pump.

Also FYI: You could have walked into the gas station and asked the attendant for “$20 on pump #3” and then pump #3 would only dispense $20.00 of gas before stopping.

> I had very strong aftertaste that USA as part of the Western Civilization at this moment built on top of hidden slavery,

Gas stations charging by the gallon is slavery? What? I’m having a hard time believing this comment is real and not just some “America bad” thing. You can’t honestly equate paying for gas to slavery or act like paying by the gallon only happens in the United States.

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#136

I honestly think it's pretty amazing how cheap air travel already is in the USA and Europe. It explains why we're seeing all time highs for air travel. The air industry seems like a good example of just the right level of regulation: There's tons of competition, different pricing tiers with their corresponding levels of quality, and a lot of dynamism combined with a good set of consumer base regulations (24 hour canc…

[flagged]

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that your personal blog? Bit crass. I was expecting an actual industry source rather than a screed.

No... I just came across it and it seems heavily researched. You can just google "obama air traffic controllers test", there are other sources as well.

The downtick in air traffic control safety started post covid (labor shortage due to layoffs in 2020), and accelerated in 2025 (labor shortage due to layoffs and funding cuts because DOGE or something).

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you drove your car across 17 countries in Europe would you expect to pay the same at every station you come across? I don't think what you're saying is even the norm within European countries, is it?

Big difference is that prices shown include all taxes and other fees.

Filling up at a gas station in the US (or buying booze or many other food/drink items at a store I guess) actually are cases where the advertised price actually is the price. (OK, some gas stations have member rewards prices but you still know up front.)

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you drove your car across 17 countries in Europe would you expect to pay the same at every station you come across? I don't think what you're saying is even the norm within European countries, is it?

Big difference is that prices shown include all taxes and other fees.

petrol is one of the few things we buy that has tax built in. you pump $23.72, that's exactly what you pay. You prepay with cash - you're having to estimate what, say, $15 will get you. Delta of $2.80/gal vs $3.30/gal - yeah, it's a bit different, but nothing is hidden.

Sales tax on literally everything is fairly different state to state (and within sometimes) but petrol is a major daily thing that is tax inclusive.

Re: US airlines are pushing to remove protections for passengers and add more fees

#140
One of my biggest regrets is not travelling the length and breadth of the US two decades ago when I had an opportunity.

What with orange two-chins in charge, MAGA, ICE, deregulation across the board, and the general shit-housery that seems to be going on over there, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to attempt it again in my lifetime ... it's not the actual travel that is the issue, it would be the non-stop gag-reflex on landing ...

RIP USA ...

Post reply on HN