Travelers frustrated by new airline fees

NEW YORK, June 22 (UPI) -- Numerous new fees charged by U.S. airlines are making comparative shopping nearly impossible, a trade group said.

"There's an increasing feeling among consumers that they're being taken advantage of," said William Maloney, president of the American Society of Travel Agents.

The group has recommended Congress move to make pricing more transparent, USA Today reported Monday.

Airlines argue the fees allow passengers to customize the level of service they want.

However, with 28 fees being charged for everything from snacks to blankets, the National Business Travel Association President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Maguire said 76 percent of corporate travel professionals in a survey last fall said the public was being duped.

"Budgeting travel costs becomes difficult without knowing the full price employees will spend on air travel," Kevin Maguire said.

Frequent flier Scott Jozefowski of Purchase, N.Y., said he was once charged $3 for a 4-ounce packet of trail mix on a flight to Hawaii.

"Everyone on that plane paid $400 or more for that flight, and the airline couldn't even give us peanuts," he said.

On the other hand, "our a la carte business model is a necessary way to generate revenue during a time when capacity exceeds demand," US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder said.