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Saturday, November 14, 2009
Congress looking at airline fees as a tax dodge

Airlines that charge fees for so-called ancillary services rather than raise air fares may be depriving taxpayers of revenue from the federal excise tax on tickets. At the request of two powerful members of Congress, the issue is being studied by investigators for the Government Accountability Office. Read more about the issue and the probe in a New York Times story.

Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 1:17 PM  Permalink | 2 comments
Comments   
Posted 04:45 AM, 11/15/2009
STEVE5444
RIGHT...NOW WILL THE AIRLINES TAX THE "ALA-CARTE" ITEMS...THIS JUST GOES ON AND ON AND ON YHS
Posted 08:00 PM, 11/17/2009
FLLBJ
If Congress would just use the tax money collected from commercial airline customers on the ATC system and on the airports where the customers and the airlines go, instead of their pet general aviation airport project where only 2 or 3 general aviation aiplanes land a day then there would be plenty money from the current taxes to get the things needed to eliminate the delays at PHL and the other 150 major airports. Instead Congress has appropriated this money to airports that probably have no business being open. Just look at the underutilized ABE(Allentown)and subsidiary airports around it. Those airports are less than an hour drive from ABE and receive only 2 or 3 general aviation aircraft a day, yet the amount of money they have received monies from taxes paid on commercial aviation tickets to extend runways and other items. They are not needed and has wasted tax dollars that are need elsewhere in the aviation system. Congress needs investigate itself for wasteful spending of exsisting tax dollars.
2 comments
About Tom Belden
Tom Belden has been reporting and writing about Philadelphia International Airport and other air travel subjects for nearly 25 years. He has written business travel columns for The Inquirer's Travel and Business sections. His ground-breaking reporting (with colleague Craig McCoy) on baggage handling problems in Philadelphia have been credited with helping improve the system. His previous blog was called Road Warrior. He can reached at tbelden@phillynews.com.
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