Congressman Josh Gottheimer has introduced a new law to protect people who fly from hidden extra charges that airlines add on, which are often called 'junk fees.' These extra costs can really add up, costing American families about $130 billion every year. This action comes right after President Joe Biden made a rule that says airlines have to quickly give money back to passengers if their flight is canceled or delayed for a long time.
Gottheimer thinks that the current efforts by the Department of Transportation aren't enough to stop these high extra fees. He believes that travelers often get surprised by these extra costs that make the ticket much more expensive than it first seemed. To fix this, his new law would make sure that the quick money-back policy from President Biden stays in place. It also wants airlines to be clear about all the possible extra costs before someone buys a ticket. This way, people will know exactly how much they'll have to pay.
The main idea of Gottheimer's law is to make flying less stressful for families by getting rid of unexpected extra costs and making sure they get their money back quickly if there are problems with the flight. If this law passes, it could make buying airline tickets a lot fairer because people would know all the costs upfront.
While airlines aren't too happy about this, saying it could make things more complicated and expensive for them, many people who fight for consumers' rights think this law is a great idea.