TSA increases plane ticket fees

[Bob Of Burleson]

By Bobby Kerlik
TribLive.com

Business travel and airline industry groups blasted increased Transportation Security Administration fees imposed on Monday on every plane ticket in the country, saying the rise amounts to a travel tax.

The security fee, imposed after 9/11 to help fund the TSA, rose to $5.60 for all one-way flights, with any domestic connection longer than four hours counting as a separate flight. Previously, the fee was $2.50 for a nonstop, one-way flight or $5 for a connecting one-way flight.

The costs mean that a typical round-trip flight will include $11.20 in security fees.

“It's counter-productive to business travel and obviously a deterrent,” said Sean McCurdy, president of the Pittsburgh Business Travel Association and president and CEO of the Corporate Hotel Network. “The most disappointing part is that a portion is going back to the general fund. It's basically a tax is what they've done. Congress should look at TSA costs. We've already seen airline pricing go up. I think the travel industry has gotten into this nickel-and-dime thing, and now the government is doing it as well.”

Congress passed the increase as part of this year's budget to help reduce the deficit, although the amount collected is less than TSA's annual budget. TSA projects to collect $3.6 billion from the fee next year.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6479 ... z38AjL6FaG
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[GFB]

Time to flush this department.

[jellowrestling]

Time to flush this department.

Who will perform the critical task of groping you at airports?

[Bob Of Burleson]