Deceptive advertising, you are cleared for take-off.
From the "things that make absolutely no sense unless there is serious corruption" files, Congress is looking to roll back regulations meant to protect air travelers in the U.S.
What are these suffocating restrictions airlines simply can't operate under? A ban on deceptive advertising that has only been in effect since 2012. With Republicans set to take over the legislative agenda in the new year, there are indications that one of the first orders of business will be passing the deceptively named Transparent Airlines Act:
As they have become more financially sound, airlines have increasingly flexed their political muscle in Washington. Earlier this year, airlines were pushing Congress to change how they are allowed to advertise fares. Under current regulations, airlines are required to tell customers the total cost of flights, including taxes. But the industry wants to advertise pretax airfares so that consumers would only see the total cost of a ticket at the time of purchase.
A measure, approved by the House in July, called the Transparent Airfares Act of 2014, would do exactly this, making it easier for airlines to mislead travelers about the true costs. The Senate has not voted on it, but the bill has a chance of becoming law next year when Republicans take control of both houses of Congress.
This despite gas prices dropping by a whopping 50 percent just since early summer, near full capacity on flights, and profitability for all the major airlines.
Rep. Bill Shuster, (R-PA) introduced the bill and has it readied for takeoff.
So, there you go. Welcome to 2015. It's going to be a very long year.