"Congress has been furrowing its collective brow at the practice. An investigation is under way, and could lead to changes in this increasingly popular tactic that airlines use to bring in more revenue without raising fares. Such fees have helped the industry offset the effects of the recession, by charging for things like checking bags, selecting seats and even for travel during the holidays. The reason for the Congressional interest is money. Fees, for the most part, are not taxed, so the government is concerned it is missing out on extra revenue that could help airports." - Steven Perez from Bookmarklet