Senators act to stop airline carryon charges
ATLANTA — Six Democratic senators want to tax any U.S. airline that wants to charge passengers for their carryon bags.
The legislation announced Wednesday comes after a small Florida airline, Spirit Airlines, said recently that it plans to begin charging its customers as much as $45 to bring a bag aboard its aircraft and put it in an overhead bin.
Air travelers have been forced to pay a barrage of fees for once-free amenities since 2008. Critics say charging for carryon bags is stepping over the line.
The legislation would designate carryon baggage as a necessity for air travelers, and force airlines to pay a tax on that revenue.
The senators argue this would keep more airlines from following Sprint’s lead.
The Air Force triathlon team, coming off a runner-up finish to Colorado last month at the conference championships in Arizona, will compete Saturday at the USA Triathlon collegiate national championship in Lubbock, Texas. The top Air Force man is Brock Logan, and the Falcon women are anchored by Christina Thompson. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS