US House passes bill allowing airlines to advertise pre-tax fares instead of the full price - Polidicks

[url]http://bigstory.ap.org/article/house-bill-lets-airlines-advertise-pre-tax-fares[/url] [quote]In a victory for airlines and their workers' unions, the House rejected consumers' complaints and passed legislation Monday letting airline advertising emphasize the base price of tickets, before taxes and fees are added. The bipartisan legislation would roll back federal regulations that since 2012 have required ads to most prominently display the full ticket price. Under the bill, the base price would have to be the one most prominently shown in ads as long as taxes and fees are displayed separately, such as in footnotes or pop-up ads. The measure was approved by voice vote, in which individual lawmakers' votes are not recorded. Such votes are used often for non-controversial bills, but they can also allow legislators avoid taking a public position on a touchy issue. Groups representing airline passengers and companies that frequently rely on corporate travel say the bill's enactment would return the country to an earlier era of misleading and confusing advertising. But the airlines — backed by unions representing pilots, mechanics and flight attendants — say including taxes and fees in their advertised prices hurts business and hides from consumers the extra costs that government imposes on air travel.[/quote]

Great, more legal lies, like we needed any more of those.

So now plane tickets will be advertised in the same bullshit way as everything else in this country.

[quote] But the airlines — backed by unions representing pilots, mechanics and flight attendants — say including taxes and fees in their advertised prices hurts business [B]and hides from consumers the extra costs that government imposes on air travel.[/B][/quote] litterally saying they should have the right to false advertisement

[quote]But the airlines — backed by unions representing pilots, mechanics and flight attendants — say including taxes and fees in their advertised prices hurts business and hides from consumers the extra costs that government imposes on air travel.[/quote] So basically they want to scam people.

actually after reading that a few times, that doesn't make any sense, do they want people to feel sympathetic towards the airlines for the taxes they have? they get big government subsidies already, you're not hiding them from people either, they'll see them on bill

The poster boy for this "victory": [img]http://thecripplegate.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Pinochio.jpg[/img]

[quote]But the airlines — backed by unions representing pilots, mechanics and flight attendants — say including taxes and fees in their advertised prices hurts business and hides from consumers the extra costs that government imposes on air travel.[/quote] Why should airlines have the privilege of not "hiding extra costs that government imposes" if everyone else has to? And also, what prevents them from showing non-tax price next to full price?

[QUOTE=Winded;45526015]Why should airlines have the privilege of not "hiding extra costs that government imposes" if everyone else has to? And also, what prevents them from showing non-tax price next to full price?[/QUOTE] Because everyone has that privilege, everyone advertises their products' prices before taxes. Really this should have been the other way around, they should've told off everyone else, but nope, can't have a representative government that actually represents the best interests of the governed.

Don't lose hope [quote]So far there is no companion bill in the Democratic-run Senate. It is unclear whether the legislation has much chance of enactment in the dwindling months of the current Congress. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., has introduced legislation that would do the opposite of the House measure. It would turn the current regulations into law, and double — to $55,000 daily — fines imposed for violating the requirement.[/quote]

I'm sure we'll find a way around this. I mean it's not really false advertising if we KNOW about it right now :v:

It doesn't really matter in my opinion because once it becomes standard practice then everyone knows the list price isn't the final price. When you buy a new car you'll see what I mean. Plus they still do have to list the extra costs and fees, if you don't bother to read up on that stuff then that's your problem.

Because we really need more false advertising/scam artist horseshit in this country. And because this is a critical issue for it that must have the immediate attention of our government. Congress is like the best worst piss circus that ever existed.

i don't even get why you'd want to do this, it will just make you annoyed when you see the actual total

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;45526071]It doesn't really matter in my opinion because once it becomes standard practice then everyone knows the list price isn't the final price. When you buy a new car you'll see what I mean. Plus they still do have to list the extra costs and fees, if you don't bother to read up on that stuff then that's your problem.[/QUOTE] except some of us don't believe that caveat emptor has to apply to everything?

Companies in Canada can already do this, and it's fucking annoying. They all have a checkbox to show price after taxes, but by default it's unchecked.

Hopefully things will change in the congress come election time.

[QUOTE=LoganIsAwesome;45526193]Hopefully things will change in the congress come election time.[/QUOTE] Note that the bill had bipartisan support.

Man this not including tax in written prices thing you have going on fucking baffled me when I went to the US. At one point, I forgot about it and paid the lady the money it said when I was getting an ice cream. She was about to correct me and then just smiled and took it anyway, probably cuz she felt sorry for me, being a stupid tourist. I didn't even realize she did it until way afterwards.

You know, I am actually surprised they were required to put the full price after taxes and fees up, almost everything in the US is displayed at pre-tax and fee levels.

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;45526071]It doesn't really matter in my opinion because once it becomes standard practice then everyone knows the list price isn't the final price. When you buy a new car you'll see what I mean. Plus they still do have to list the extra costs and fees, if you don't bother to read up on that stuff then that's your problem.[/QUOTE] What's the point then? Why allow the obfuscation of information?

Honestly everything should have to be shown with its after tax/fee price. It's already that way here for gas/petrol, why not do it for everything?

[QUOTE=FlakAttack;45529613]Honestly everything should have to be shown with its after tax/fee price. It's already that way here for gas/petrol, why not do it for everything?[/QUOTE] Also for liquor, but I think its on a per-province basis.

I really hate that everything is pre-tax. You always have to take extra money with me because you never know what the "real" price is going to be. I just wish they would make a law where every listed price was final.

I wish it would be like certain civilized nations where tax is included it in the price when you go into a store. Not 19.99 with 8.25%

[QUOTE=Shadaez;45526103]i don't even get why you'd want to do this, it will just make you annoyed when you see the actual total[/QUOTE] Because the US government act solely on the behalf of corporations.

[QUOTE=FlakAttack;45529613]Honestly everything should have to be shown with its after tax/fee price. It's already that way here for gas/petrol, why not do it for everything?[/QUOTE] When I went to Germany that's how it was. It's such a pain to look at something on a rack and go "It's only $100!" and at the till the cashier says "That'll be $113, please."

Why are retards allowed to work in government?

[QUOTE=FunnyStarRunner;45529995]Why are retards allowed to work in government?[/QUOTE] Because other retards let them.

They shouldn't have to advertise the cost forcefully added on by the government. That isn't the price they are charging. Also, this just makes airline tickets the same as everything else... not really a big deal. People are used to adding tax onto things.