It was announced today that four major airlines, Delta, American, Southwest and JetBlue, may have temporarily raised ticket prices to take advantage of the May Amtrak crash that left eight people dead and hundreds injured.
The crash caused major service disruptions on the Northeast corridor. This was allegedly seen as an opportunity by the airlines. Consumer complained that the airlines had been price-gouging.
The Transportation Department reportedly launched the investigation this morning by sending official letters “seeking information” to the four aforementioned airlines.
“These airlines have allegedly raised fees beyond what you would ordinarily expect in the Northeast Corridor at a time when the Amtrak line was shut down,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.
Foxx said the investigation being launched on Friday comes after Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut contacted the Obama administration about his concerns.
“There were a flurry of concerns raised in the wake of the accident in Philadelphia,” Foxx said.
