US: DoT freezes regulatory process on Obama-era airfare transparency proposals

The US DoT has indefinitely suspended comment periods on two late-term Obama administration regulatory actions related to how airlines display airfares and ancillary fees, essentially freezing the regulatory process on the actions. DoT said the suspension would “allow [Trump’s] appointees the opportunity to review and consider [these] action[s].” The suspensions are in reference to a Request for Information on “Exploring Industry Practices on Distribution and Display of Airline Fare, Schedule and Availability Information”, and a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking on “Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees”. Both proposed regulatory actions garnered considerable industry pushback, described in various quarters as being both govt regulatory overreach and potentially harmful to the US airline industry. <br/>