Good Politics Vs. Travel Junk Fees

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, October 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

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Episode Notes

The Biden administration has taken another step to combat so-called junk fees. The Federal Trade Commission unveiled a proposed rule on Wednesday that would stop businesses — including those in the travel industry — from charging misleading fees, reports Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden. 

Jorden writes the rule would require companies to show consumers the full price of their purchase as well as whether fees are refundable. Under the FTC’s proposal, businesses that don’t comply with the agency’s regulations could face fines and possibly have to refund consumers. An FTC spokesperson told Skift that the agency will hold a 60-day public comment period after which it will decide any changes to the proposal. The FTC would then vote on a final rule.  

Next, Disney has raised the price of tickets for both Disneyland and Disney World, writes Travel Experiences Reporter Selene Brophy. 

Brophy reports Disneyland raised one-day ticket prices by between 4% and 9% and also increased the prices of multi-day tickets. Meanwhile, Walt Disney World raised the price of its annual passes by nearly 10%, but it didn’t increase the price of daily tickets to any of its theme parks. One travel industry insider said Disney could be betting that a small monthly increase in payment won’t cause many pass holders to cancel. 

Finally, British Airways is the latest airline to suspend all flights to Israel following Hamas’ recent attack on the country, reports Edward Russell, editor of Skift publication Airline Weekly. 

British Airways has joined United Airlines, Ryanair and EasyJet and other airlines in suspending service to the country. However, Russell notes an extended conflict wouldn’t significantly impact the balance sheets of most major global airlines. Israel’s small size makes it easy for airlines to route flights around its airspace. 

Meanwhile, not every airline has suspended flights to Israel indefinitely. EasyJet and Ryanair currently plan to resume flights to the country before the end of the week.