Originally Posted by
NYTimes
The airlines prefer a different metaphor, and say these fees are akin to an à la carte restaurant menu, allowing passengers to choose what they want as part of their trip.
If you go out to eat in Texas, every item you order at an a la carte restaurant menu is subject to sales tax. Isn't it that way in most other states?
If the airlines want to compare their fees to items on a restaurant menu, then those fees should be taxed - just like items on a restaurant menu would be (in most states)
Don't get me wrong. It's not so much that I want to see higher taxes. It's a case of me wanting all airlines to be on a level playing field. And the way the system is set up now, they're not all on a level playing field. If you fly an airline where everything (or almost everything) is included in the fare, you end up paying more taxes. If you fly an airline that separates the fare from the fees, you'll pay less in taxes.
If Congress chooses not to tax the fees, what's to stop an airline from offering a $20 fare and then tacking on a $250 passenger "shipping & handling" fee?