Appeals Court Blocks Biden Admin’s Airline Fee Disclosure Rule

The rule was established in April 2024 to protect airline consumers from hidden or unexpected fees.

Passengers check-in for their flights at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Jan. 20, 2025. David J. Phillip/AP Photo

A U.S. appeals court blocked on Jan. 28 the Biden administration’s 2024 rule requiring airlines to disclose all service fees upfront because the Department of Transportation (DOT) did not comply with procedural rules.

While the court ruled the agency had the authority to write fee disclosure rules addressing “unfair or deceptive practices being conducted by airlines,” the DOT should not have allowed airlines a chance to comment on the study used to create the rule.