The department of transportation recently implemented some new rules to protect us. As of late January, airlines are required to disclose all mandatory taxes and fees when advertising an airfare.
In the old days, airlines could just advertise a fare, that means we jump on what we thought was a low rate, enter all of our information, then click through to the payment screen, only to find out that the total fare increased significantly once taxes, fees, surcharges, and everything else was added.
Now there are much fewer surprises. Where you may not see a difference is on third party advertisers, like Kayak, which already shows the total airfare upfront.
The other changes you’ll notice is that airlines, tour operators, and cruise lines can no longer feature opt out insurance. That’s when an insurance policy is automatically tacked on to your fare, and you have to physically uncheck a box in order to not get it.
Instead this option is now opt in, which means you get to choose whether you want to add it or not.
For more on hidden fees, check out our Money, Currency, and Credit section.
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