H.R. 4156 Media Center
The U.S. House Transportation Committee on March 9, 2014 passed, after 9 minutes of discussion, H.R. 4156, the Orwellian titled Transparent Airfares Act of 2014. This bill, which would enshrine drip pricing in law, is in response to airlines' objections to a U.S. Department of Transportation rule implemented in 2012 that requires airlines to prominently display total ticket prices in advertising and in internet displays, including government taxes and fees. The legislation would reverse that DOT rule and undermine a critically important airline consumer protection that was adopted as a cure to airline drip-pricing advertising.
The Drip Pricing Problem
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission commissioner Dr Jill Walker told the travel publication MICE BTN: “‘Drip pricing’ is an enforcement priority. ‘Drip pricing involves sequentially revealing components of the total price and not revealing the full price until the end of the reservation process. “The final price paid may be substantially higher than the ‘headline price’, but after investing time and effort in the booking process, consumers are less likely to shop around.’”
FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS
- 2014 H.R. 4156 Text
- 2013 Report on Federal Role In Airline Consumer Protection
- 2012 U.S. Court of Appeals Opinion
- 2012 U.S. DOT Final Brief in Airlines' Federal Suit
- 2012 Pillsbury Law Explanation of U.S. DOT Advertising Rule
- 2012 U.S. DOT Announcement of New Advertising Rules
BTC ANALYSES & STATEMENTS
- 7-30-14 Press Coverage After House Vote To Pass H.R. 4156
- 7-28-14 U.S. House Votes Against Consumers And For Airlines
- 7-24-14 Analysis of Press Reports on H.R. 4156
- 7-15-14 The Manipulative, Dark Strategy Behind H.R. 4156
- 7-10-14 Airlines Triple Down on H.R. 4156
- 5-21-14 BTC Applauds U.S. DOT Consumer Protection Efforts
- 5-15-14 H.R. 4156 Is A House of Cards Premised On A Lie
- 5-05-14 George Orwell Would Recognize This Legislation
- 4-14-14 Are Airlines Brutally Regulated And Overtaxed?
- 4-09-14 Are Airlines Being Held To a Different Standard?
- 4-08-14 Letter to U.S. Representative DeFazio
- 4-07-14 H.R. 4156 Markup Only Benefits Airlines
- 3-25-14 Graphical Analysis of DOT Rule Versus H.R. 4156
- 3-07-14 Transparent Airfares Act of 2014 to Benefit Airlines
VIEWS OF TRAVEL INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS
OPPOSED TO H.R. 4156
- 7-29-14 Consumer Groups’ Letter To Senate Commerce Committee
- 7-29-14 ASTA Statement on House Passage of Anti-Consumer Airline Bill
- 7-29-14 Travel Tech Letter to Senator Markey
- 7-23-14 House Members Need to Answer Consumers’ Questions
- 7-18-18 Consumer Federation of America Letter to Members of the House
- 7-17-14 Industry Letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner
- 7-15-14 Consumer Groups’ Letter To U.S. House Members
- 7-14-14 Consumer Groups Unite Against Controversial H.R. 4156
- 7-11-14 FlyersRights.org Statement
- 5-28-14 Consumer Groups’ Press Release
- 5-28-14 Consumer Groups Letter To Congress
- 5-06-14 Industry Urges Senate to Reject Orwellian Bill
- 4-24-14 ASTA Press Release Regarding a Grassroots Campaign
- 4-22-14 AAPR Letter to Senate Commerce Committee
- 4-22-14 Association for Airline Passenger Rights Press Release
- 4-21-14 Consumer Groups Unite in Opposition to H.R. 4156
- 4-16-14 ASTA Letter to Senate Commerce Committee
- 4–10-14 Travel Technology Association Statement
- 4-09-14 U.S. Travel Association Press Release
- 4-08-14 ASTA Letter to House T&I Leadership
SUPPORTATIVE OF H.R. 4156
- 7-28-14 ALPA Letter to House Leadership
- 7-28-14 Airline Groups’ Letter House Members
- 7-08-14 A4A Rips U.S. DOT
- 7-01-14 A4A Backgrounder
- 5-05-14 Airchive.com
- 4-17-14 A4A Statement
- 4-10-14 Americans For Tax Reform to House T&I Leadership
- 4-10-14 National Taxpayers Union to House T&I Leadership
- 3-20-14 Teamsters Letter To Representative Shuster