1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

Support the Junk Fee Prevention Act and Close the Airline Tax Loophole I am a constituent in Des Moines, Iowa and I am writing because of something happening right now that is costing everyday travelers money while Congress looks the other way. In a single week this April, JetBlue, United, Delta, and Southwest all raised their checked baggage fees with no warning. Delta now charges $45 for a first bag, $55 for a second, and $200 for a third. The airlines blame rising fuel costs. But that explanation falls apart when you look at what these same companies receive from taxpayers. The U.S. government has given the aviation industry over $155 billion in direct federal support since 1918. During the pandemic, the Treasury Department provided $59 billion in taxpayer-funded payroll assistance to airlines. These companies are also exempt from standard federal excise taxes on aviation fuel. And the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act handed them a 40 percent cut in their corporate tax rate, savings they used largely for stock buybacks rather than lower fares or better wages. What I am asking you to focus on is a specific loophole that makes this even worse. Airlines pay a 7.5 percent federal excise tax on base airfare. But that tax does not apply to baggage fees, seat selection fees, or change fees. This gives airlines a direct financial incentive to hide costs in add-on charges rather than the ticket price, because it is simply more profitable for them to do so. The government is also forfeiting tax revenue it is fully entitled to collect. When JetBlue raised fees this April, United matched within 48 hours. Delta and Southwest followed days later. That kind of coordinated behavior in a market with limited competition deserves both a tax fix and antitrust scrutiny. I have two specific requests. First, please support and co-sponsor the Junk Fee Prevention Act, introduced in December 2025 by Representatives Bynum and Sykes in the House and Senators Gallego and Blumenthal in the Senate. This bill requires full upfront pricing disclosure for airline fees and mandates public reporting of ancillary fee revenue through the Department of Transportation. Second, please direct the relevant committee to examine whether the 7.5 percent federal excise tax on domestic airfare should be extended to cover all mandatory ancillary fees. Travelers in Iowa flying through Des Moines International Airport are paying hidden charges that inflate airline profits while Congress leaves that tax revenue uncollected. This industry was built with public money. When it faces crisis, taxpayers are always asked to help. The least we ask in return is that Congress close the loopholes that let these companies profit by hiding the true cost of flying from the people who bailed them out. I will be watching this issue and sharing your response with neighbors and community members who feel the same way. Thank you for your service to our state.