Proposed airline ticket tax bump has tempers soaring

[The Straight Story]

Proposed airline ticket tax bump has tempers soaring

President Obama is asking passengers to pay a few dollars more in taxes for an airline ticket — which already is about 20% taxes and fees. And the travel industry is in an uproar about it.

Big airlines say people would buy fewer tickets if Congress approves the president's proposal to help cut the deficit and pay for the nation's aviation system.

Regional airlines, which carry more than half of domestic fliers each day, say it could force them to pull out of small cities.

Small-city airports worry about that.

And some travelers and consumer groups say it's just unfair to ask passengers to pay more on top of the taxes and fees that government and airports already charge.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/09/proposed-airline-ticket-tax-bump-has-tempers-soaring/549558/1

[Possumpoint]

1. "It's Unfair"

For people to be expected to pay for the service they receive? Are they so use to subsidized ticket prices that the concept of pay as you go chokes them? I don't want my federal taxes used to subsidize small regional airports. Look at what we've spent on that Murtha Airport in PA that is hardly ever used.

[ananda]

2. This is a regressive tax.

It harms people who don't have a lot of money, and puts the higher
tax burden on them.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Quite regressive indeed