Trump Administration Eyes Major Shake-Up To 15-Year-Old Airfare Advertising Rules

Published Jul 31, 2026, 3:23 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Change could be in the air, with the Trump Administration now eyeing up changes to airfare regulation that dictates what the price is when a traveler looks to purchase a plane ticket. This would mark the end of an Obama-era regulation that could allow airlines more leeway to decide how the cost of a flight is displayed. These changes would allow airlines more options to show the cost of a flight, including the base fare and additional taxes or fees. The current 15-year-old regulation mandates that airlines show the full price of the ticket upfront. As analyzed by The Points Guy, these changes would mean that consumers would have to dig deeper to understand the full details of the cost of a ticket. Today Prices Are Shown In Full When Purchasing A Ticket Credit: Shutterstock Currently, airlines are required to show the full price of the ticket, encompassing the base fare, taxes, and all other mandatory fees. In 2010, the Obama administration mandated that airlines should show the total ticket price upfront. This would then allow passengers to understand the full cost of the ticket. Additionally, the total ticket price was to be shown in a bigger font size, and more obviously than other smaller fee components. This current process has been backed by consumer advocates, who boast that the policy makes it easier for travelers to understand the full price of the ticket, compare costs between alternative carriers and know upfront what they would need to pay. Now, the United States Department of Transportation could be considering a change to this policy, which would allow airlines more options. Instead, the new policy would permit airlines to attract consumers by advertising the lower base fare, as long as the total flight cost was also displayed as well. As an example, a ticket between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) could be advertised as below: Fare $200 Taxes $50 Total Flight Cost $250 Greater Flexibility For Companies While Still Providing Pricing Information Credit: Shutterstock The changes come as the Trump Administration suggests that the current policy is 'telling airlines what to do', including the font size and what they must advertise. With the new proposal, this would allow greater flexibility while still ensuring vital information is advertised to the consumer. Additionally, the DOT has revealed that it is considering several other actions, which is a repeal of the all-in pricing rule, which currently covers the industry. This has been due to a push from airlines for a number of years, who have been arguing that the government is dictating how they are allowed to advertise the cost of airfares. This is backed by the current process in the United States, where across the consumer sector an advertised sticker price then has taxes added on top. These changes may leave consumers confused, and ultimately make it harder to compare airfares as airlines look to advertise the lower base airfare before travelers fully understand the additional fees that will be added on top. It could see consumers doubt airline pricing and some carriers be considered as misleading. Scrapping The 2011 Full Fare Rule Credit: Shutterstock The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was issued earlier this year, where the Trump Administration began the process of giving airlines more flexibility by being able to advertise the fare alone. The proposal would additionally scrap nine airfare price advertising guidelines. The DOT has extended a public comment period up until August 21. Trump has consistently pushed for a relaxation in regulations for the airline industry; last year the department rescinded and canceled several consumer protection rules that were issued by the Biden Administration (but not yet in effect), such as the fixed cash refunds to passengers who faced flight delays of more than three hours. Several airlines are yet to comment, Southwest Airlines, which has long opposed these all-in pricing rules, has suggested that changing things now could be 'extremely disruptive' to the airline and the wider industry.