§ 399.84 - Price advertising and opt-out provisions.

§ 399.84 Price advertising and opt-out provisions.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 34674, Apr. 30, 2024.

(a) The Department considers any advertising or solicitation by a direct air carrier, indirect air carrier, an agent of either, or a ticket agent, for passenger air transportation, a tour (i.e., a combination of air transportation and ground or cruise accommodations) or tour component (e.g., a hotel stay) that must be purchased with air transportation that states a price for such air transportation, tour, or tour component to be an unfair and deceptive practice in violation of 49 U.S.C. 41712, unless the price stated is the entire price (all mandatory charges) to be paid by the customer to the carrier, or agent, for such air transportation, tour, or tour component. Although charges included within the single total price listed Mandatory charges refer to all taxes and fees that are required to purchase air transportation on the channel where the advertising or solicitation occurs (e.g., government taxes) if a fare is advertised online for $100 then that means the fare must be available for the consumer to purchase for $100 online). Mandatory charges included within the single total price listed may be stated separately or through links or “pop ups” on websites online platforms that display the total price, but such charges may not be false or misleading, may not be displayed prominently, may not be presented in the same or larger size as the total price, and must provide cost information on a per passenger basis that accurately reflects the cost of the item covered by the mandatory charge.

(b) The Department considers any advertising by the entities listed in paragraph (a) of this section of an each-way airfare that is available only when purchased for round-trip travel to be an unfair and deceptive practice in violation of 49 U.S.C. 41712, unless such airfare is advertised as “each way” and in such a manner so that the disclosure of the round-trip purchase requirement is clearly and conspicuously noted in the advertisement and is stated prominently and proximately to the each-way fare amount. The Department considers it to be an unfair and deceptive practice to advertise each-way fares contingent on a round-trip purchase requirement as “one-way” fares, even if accompanied by prominent and proximate disclosure of the round trip purchase requirement.

(c) When offering a ticket for purchase by a consumer, for passenger air transportation or for a tour (i.e., a combination of air transportation and ground or cruise accommodations) or tour component (e.g., a hotel stay) that must be purchased with air transportation, a direct air carrier, indirect air carrier, an agent of either, or a ticket agent, may not offer additional optional services in connection with air transportation, a tour, or tour component whereby the optional service is automatically added to the consumer's purchase if the consumer takes no other action, i.e., if the consumer does not opt out. The consumer must affirmatively “opt in” (i.e., agree) to such a service and the fee for it before that fee is added to the total price for the air transportation-related purchase. The Department considers the use of “opt-out” provisions to be an unfair and deceptive practice in violation of 49 U.S.C. 41712.

(d) A carrier or ticket agent may display a price that includes all mandatory charges and one or more ancillary service fees (i.e., fees charged for any optional service related to air travel beyond passenger air transportation) in place of or more prominently than a price that only includes all mandatory charges.

(e) The Department considers any offer of a percentage-off discount for passenger air transportation or for a tour (i.e., a combination of air transportation and ground or cruise accommodations) or tour component (e.g., a hotel stay) that must be purchased with air transportation, that does not make clear at the outset the terms and conditions of the offer, including how the discount is calculated, to be an unfair and deceptive practice in violation of 49 U.S.C. 41712. When used in any advertising or solicitation, the term “base fare” must refer to an amount that includes all mandatory carrier-imposed charges and the terms “flight,” “ticket,” or “fare” must refer to an amount that includes all mandatory carrier-imposed and government charges.

[76 FR 23166, Apr. 25, 2011, as amended by DOT-OST-2022-0109, 89 FR 34674, Apr. 30, 2024]