The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it wants to expose “junk fees” and make the companies hiding them tell you the total price of the accommodations or event tickets they’re selling upfront at the time of purchase.
Fed up consumers have been calling for transparency of these bait-and-switch practices for years. For travelers, the FTC ruling would mean all hotel booking websites and vacation rental platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo would need to include the cost of nightly resort fees in the initial price instead of appearing only when you hit the “book now” button. It would also apply to fees (that until now had only been revealed during checkout) connected to live-event ticketing such as concerts, meaning the first price you see is the price you get.
The FTC says by requiring up-front disclosure of the total price including fees, it will eliminate unfair and deceptive pricing tactics leveling competition with search results that include all “resort,” “city” or “service” fees in the advertised price. It does not prohibit or limit the amount of the fees, it just mandates that they’re disclosed.
The truth in advertising ruling, which has bipartisan support, will go into effect 120 days after its publication in the Federal Register (that means April of 2025, if you don’t feel like doing the math right now). Years in the making, it’s a decision that many consumers hope will stick when the new administration is sworn in.
As for Las Vegas, it means resort fees—which cover amenities such as wireless internet access, newspapers, fitness center and pool access—would appear in room prices online. That means first-click $38-a-night rooms in Las Vegas would be no more, once the resort fees are disclosed upfront. On average, resort fees run between $50 and $62 per night for Strip resorts and $30 and $37 off-Strip.