Two of the biggest low-cost carriers in the United States are under fire by US Senators following a hearing in which executives from Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines refused to answer questions regarding the way in which passenger data is used in determining airline ticket prices and fees. Questions left unanswered On January 23, US Senators Maggie Hassan, Josh Hawley, and Richard Blumenthal wrote a letter to Edward M. Christie III, and Barry L.
Biffle of Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines respectively, questioning the airline CEOs regarding their testimony at a December 2024 hearing at the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In the letter, the senators explained that passengers could potentially be charged different seat fees on the same flight despite being booked in the same ticket class or fare, and that the testimony given didn't sufficiently answer or clarify any of the senators' questions. Part of the letter put forth scathing evidence that could lead to the two largest low-cost carriers in the US being held liable for abusing passenger information for financial gain.
"Your lack of transparency raises concerns that your airlines use customers' personal information to manipulate seat pricing. This practice could lead to passengers on the same flight being charged different prices for the same seat type [in the same ticket fare] based on their personal characteristics. Although you stated that your airlines do not use "personally identifiable informa.
