“One year in, resort fees fell 12% — and airline seat and 'convenience' fees rose to fill the gap.”
What the rule required
The FTC's 2024 Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees requires businesses selling live-event tickets and short-term lodging to disclose the total price — inclusive of all mandatory fees — up front, before checkout.
What TALLY panel data shows
Median disclosed resort fee at booking rose from 41% of properties to 88%. The median resort fee itself fell 12% year over year. But airline seat-selection fees on non-basic-economy fares rose 19% in the same period, and Ticketmaster's 'convenience fee' — introduced late 2025 — now averages $8.50 per ticket.
The whack-a-mole problem
Category-specific rulemaking creates category-specific arbitrage. Airlines, delivery, telecom, and banking are not covered and account for 71% of the panel's 2026 hidden-fee dollars.
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