There’s a hidden tax on airline tickets called the Passenger Facility Charge or PFC. Congress currently caps the fee at $4.50 per leg of travel — so the PFC adds $18 to a round-trip ticket with layovers each way. The airport lobby has convinced some lawmakers that raising the cap to $8.50 or removing it altogether would be a good idea.
There’s absolutely no need for this tax hike. According to Federal Aviation Administration data, our nation’s airports are collectively sitting on $14.5 billion in cash, or more than a year’s worth of liquid assets. That figure is up 50% from a decade ago.