PROVIDENCE, RI – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) wants airline passengers to wave good bye to asterisks, fine print, and sticker shock.

Reed has called for stronger regulations to protect consumers from hidden fees and taxes, and starting this week, new federal rules will require airlines to disclose the cost of all mandatory fees and taxes in the advertised price of an airfare.  The new rules will also give travelers better information about baggage fees and flight delays, and give passengers a chance to hold a reservation without payment for 24 hours or cancel a reservation during that period without penalty.

“These new rules will help protect consumers from hidden costs and provide passengers with some relief,” said Reed, who voted for similar reforms in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that was passed in the Senate nearly a year ago, but stalled by House Republicans.  “It will cut down on hidden fees and require airlines to simply charge the actual price they are advertising.”

The new U.S. Department of Transportation policy, which goes into effect starting Thursday, January 26, also includes measures to ensure:

•  Airline companies must disclose baggage fees at the time a ticket is purchased and list the price on e-ticket confirmations.

•  The same baggage costs must be applied throughout a passenger’s trip, regardless of connections onto other airlines.

•  Airlines must begin notifying passengers promptly when flights are diverted, cancelled, or delayed by more than 30 minutes.

Under the new rules, airlines must include taxes and mandatory fees in advertised prices on all their communications with customers, including on their websites, online travel sites, television, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and in newspapers and direct e-mail offers.

Senator Reed has long been recognized as a leading consumer rights champion in Congress.  The Consumer Federation of America (CFA), a pro-consumer advocacy group representing more than 50 million members nationwide, awarded Reed the 2008 Philip Hart Public Service Award for championing issues that better the lives of working Americans.