Allegiant Travel appeals new rules for passengers

Allegiant Travel Co. has gone to court to appeal new rules regarding airline passengers.

The new rules, put into effect by the U.S. Department of Transportation in April, were promoted as consumer protection measures. However, numerous airlines protested them as potentially damaging to business.

In a three-page brief filed on Thursday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the parent of Las Vegas-based low-cost airline Allegiant Air took issue with the following areas: allowing passengers to obtain a refund within 24 hours of booking; prominently displaying how baggage and other ancillary fees are shown to passengers; and not allowing government fees and taxes to be advertised separately from the fare.

Allegiant has aggressively split off parts of flights for separate charges beyond a seat itself, so bundling everything into one lump sum would make prices look higher. Consumer advocates have argued that this is a more honest pricing method because it would show the total cost of the flight up front, but Allegiant argues it limits passenger choice.

Another point Allegiant challenged, not allowing price increases after a sale, does not apply to its current operations. However, Allegiant would be precluded from implementing ideas such as giving passengers the option to tie the final fare to changes in fuel prices.

Spirit Airlines, another low-cost operator serving Las Vegas, also filed an appeal echoing those points.