U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said it could cost $592 or $1,311 for the same trip on the same planes. Watch video
WASHINGTON -- You're flying from Newark to a conference in San Francisco, but before visiting the city by the bay, you decided to spend the weekend in Los Angeles. That three-way fare will cost you $1,311.
But if you instead bought one-way tickets from Newark to Los Angeles, L.A. to San Francisco, and S.F. back to Newark, you could fly the same friendly skies for $592.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) wants to know why, and on Friday he asked U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx for an answer.
Should fares include taxes and fees?
"You're riding the same plane, with the same crew, using the same amount of jet fuel, even sitting in the same seat," Menendez said Friday at a press conference in Newark. "It shouldn't cost hundreds of dollars more."
The Transportation Department received the letter and will respond to Menendez directly, spokeswoman Namrata Kolachalam said.
Airline industry officials said a study was not necessary, noting that fares were lower in real terms than in 2000.
"Customers today are able to choose among carriers and select the best prices, flight offerings and amenities that meet their individual needs," said Melanie Hinton, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, the industry's Washington-based trade group. "As with any consumer product, it's the marketplace that ultimately determines the price and service offerings."
Menendez has been a frequent critic of the airline industry. He co-sponsored legislation to require the Federal Aviation Administration to set minimum sizes for airplane seats, which Senate Republicans voted down on Thursday as they considered legislation to set aviation policy and renew FAA operations for five years.
He also has introduced a bill to increase the penalties for airlines who don't advertise the full fares for their flights, including fees and taxes. The House version of the FAA bill would allow airlines to advertise fares minus the extra charges.
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook