A few senators must have finally had enough on one of their many flights to and from their home districts.
Last week, a bill was introduced that would "forbid airlines from imposing ridiculous fees" — specifically, the baggage and changed reservation fees that have become a staple for many large airlines.
If such a bill actually made it into law, what would it mean for airline companies? As much as 15 percent of some carriers' total operating revenue comes from just those two fees (not counting all the other fees that travelers may end up paying), according to Bureau of Transportation Statistics data. Low-cost airlines like Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air are especially reliant on those revenue sources.
That wasn't always the case. Before 2009, those fees were a negligible part of most carriers' revenue. Today, airline profits would suffer if those fees disappeared.