Lawmakers in the US Congress have abandoned an attempt to compel airlines to justify the cost of checking baggage and making changes to passenger itineraries, Reuters reports.
A proposal that would have required fees for these services to be “reasonable and proportional” was dropped from the final bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The legislation does, however, direct the FAA to establish minimum seat sizes for aircraft, and bans airlines from removing passengers due to overbooking after they have passed the boarding gate.
Both the airline industry and the Trump administration opposed the “reasonable and proportional” provision, which had been added to the FAA bill by bipartisan agreement.
The bill, which cleared committee but still must be voted upon by both houses of Congress, also:
- maintains the ban on using cell phones during flights
- prohibits the use of e-cigarettes aboard aircraft
- requires airlines to let parents check strollers as luggage
- prohibits putting live animals in overhead luggage bins
- directs the FAA to potentially require airlines to allow pregnant women to board flights early
- requires airlines to refund passenger fees for services not delivered
