WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, released the following statement on the announcement of a proposed Federal Trade Commission rule to ban hidden and misleading fees and require businesses to provide consumers with the all-in price up front for event tickets, hotels, car rentals, and more .

“From buying a concert ticket to booking a flight, hidden fees are a constant challenge for consumers trying to make informed decisions on big purchases. We must put an end to these surprise costs so that consumers have the transparency they need and deserve. This announcement from the Administration is an important step towards ensuring that the price you see is the price you pay.”

In July, Klobuchar and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus and members of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act. This legislation will improve transparency for consumers by requiring anyone advertising a hotel room or short-term rental to clearly show up front the final price a customer will pay to book lodging.  

In February, Klobuchar joined Senator Ed Markey, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Richard Blumenthal in introducing the Families Fly Together Act, legislation to prohibit airlines from imposing any monetary charges on families that want to sit together during a flight.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this year on the problems in America’s ticketing markets, Klobuchar pressed Live Nation President and Chief Financial Officer Joe Berchtold about the company’s excessive ancillary fees. 

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