Overview
- Domestic Fares and Rules
- International Fares and Rules
- Disclosure of Full Fares and Ancillary Fees
- IATA Agreements
Domestic Fares and Rules
U.S. domestic air fares (interstate fares, and “overseas” fares to/from U.S. territories) were deregulated by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-504. U.S. carriers do not file their domestic passenger fares and rules with the Department.
International Fares and Rules
In most international markets, the Department has exempted U.S. and foreign carriers from the statutory requirement to file passenger fares. The carriers are, however, still required to file tariffs containing some “general rules” such as rules on conditions of carriage, baggage allowances, liability, and carriage of passengers with disabilities. We review such filings for consistency with public interest standards, Department rules and policy, and applicable international agreements.
- Notices of markets exempted from fare filing, and of general rules required to be filed, can be viewed electronically in Docket OST-1997-2050 through the Dockets Management system at www.regulations.gov.
- Electronic Tariffs are available for public viewing by appointment at DOT headquarters. Please contact Della Davis at (202) 366-2432 or via email at Della.Davis@dot.gov or Bernice Gray at (202) 366-2418 or via email at Bernice.Gray@dot.gov for an appointment.
Disclosure of Full Fares and Ancillary Fees
For both domestic and international markets, carriers must provide disclosure of the full price to be paid, including government taxes/fees as well as carrier surcharges, in their advertising, on their websites and on the passenger’s e-ticket confirmation. In addition, carriers must disclose all fees for optional services through a prominent link on their homepage, and must include information on e-ticket confirmations about the free baggage allowance and applicable fees for the first and second checked bag and carry-on.
- More information is available from the Aviation Consumer Protection Division
IATA Agreements
We review inter-carrier agreements, mostly technical standard-setting agreements filed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to determine whether they may be implemented.