New airline disclosure rules don't go far enough, Spirit AirlinesCEO Ben Baldanza told CNBC Thursday.
Baldanza, whose airline is known for its $9 fare club that promotes heavily discounted tickets, said the government is not allowing airlines to disclose the 7.5 percent excise tax they've always included in fares.
“We want to go back to the status quo plus break out the excise tax, which the government has not allowed us to do,” he said, calling the new rules “a sneaky and somewhat unethical way for the government to foist taxes on consumers without the consumers realizing it.”
The federal rules that went into effect Thursday are designed to allow flyers to see fares, fees, and taxes on airline websites before they buy their tickets. Travelers can hold a ticket without payment for 24 hours, or cancel without penalty, and they will be able to see what they'll pay in baggage fees, among other provisions.
Baldanza warned the new rules are the “thin edge of the wedge” for the government to raise taxes on consumers.