The September 11th Security Fee is a small surcharge attached to every commercial airline ticket purchased in the U.S., about $2.50 to $5.00, I think. Presumably, the money goes to the TSA to help implement increased security measures at the airport.
I’m not looking for a debate about airport security, the fee itself, or anything else. My question is about advertising.
Whenever I hear a radio commercial for an airline, the fast-talking guy reading the legalese always mentions the “September 11th Security Fee” by name. It’s also there in the small print on TV and print ads, but on radio it really sticks out to me.
I assume airlines are legally obligated to do this, but I can also imagine that they’re not exactly thrilled about having to bring up the single deadliest day in the history of air travel while trying to sell people air travel. So I’m curious to know if the industry or any individual carriers have attempted to push back on this. Why wouldn’t it be legal to just say “Security Fee” or “Other Fees”?