Sen. Schumer urges DOT to require upfront baggage fee disclosure

NEW YORK -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on the federal Department of Transportation to reverse its decision not to require airlines to disclose baggage fees upfront.

The department announced Thursday it was withdrawing a proposed rule to force airlines to disclose baggage fees at the start of a ticket purchase rather than later.

The department said in a notice posted online that the rule would have been "of limited public benefit."

Schumer said Sunday that scrapping the fee-disclosure rule would be "a Christmas gift" to the airlines. The Democrat urged the Department of Transportation to reverse course and restore "this commonsense passenger protection."

Airlines are already required to disclose bag fees, but critics say the information is often hidden until after consumers have taken several steps toward purchasing a ticket.