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Airline ancillary fees have recently come under scrutiny in the United States, both within the government and the airline industry. Last week, five executives from major airlines were summoned for a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill to discuss these fees and allegations of 'discriminatory pricing.' Among those present were Steve Johnson of American Airlines, Peter Carter of Delta Air Lines, Andrew Nocella of United Airlines, Robert Schroeter of Frontier Airlines, and Matthew Klein of Spirit Airlines.
This hearing coincided with controversial remarks made by Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle, who labeled passengers attempting to avoid carry-on fees as "shoplifters." The statement came amid revelations from a report by the US Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Investigations. The report highlighted that Frontier and Spirit Airlines had incentivized their staff to enforce bag fees aggressively. Over 2022 and 2023, these airlines reportedly spent $26 million pursuing passengers avoiding such fees.
The report quoted a Frontier official saying enforcement was crucial because they did not want customers "stealing" from the airline. It further revealed that Frontier anticipated generating over $40 million in fee revenue in just the first year of its enforcement program. Employees at Frontier could earn up to $10 per bag checked at the gate, while Spirit offered up to $5.
