Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., sharply criticized airline executives on Wednesday, calling their service a "disaster" for Americans.
Executives from major airlines, including American, United, Delta, Spirit, and Frontier, faced tough questions during a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing. They were grilled about rising fees and their impact on customers.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who chairs the subcommittee, announced the hearing after the PSI Majority Report findings. The report detailed how airlines have increasingly used junk fees to drive revenue, hiking costs for travelers.
Hawley didn’t hold back in expressing his frustration. "Flying on your airlines is horrible," he said. "It’s a terrible experience. As a father of three, I can tell you—nobody enjoys it. It’s a disaster."
He shared a personal story about flying during the COVID-19 pandemic. His tone grew sharper as he recalled the incident.
"You charge fees people don’t know about and harass them to death," Hawley said. He then addressed an American Airlines executive directly. "I’ll never forget when, during COVID, a flight attendant on your airline threatened my wife because our five-year-old’s mask slipped below his nose. She said my wife would be banned from flying if she didn’t keep it up for a four-hour flight."
"This happens to families all the time," Hawley continued. "Your attitude is dismissive. Well, I think we’re going to do something about it."
Sen. Blumenthal also delivered a harsh critique. "Airlines today treat customers like walking piggy banks to shake down for every dime," he said.
After the hearing, Blumenthal noted that anger over airline practices crosses party lines. "The frustration on both sides was dramatic," he told reporters.