Anti-tax zealots like to promote the idea of listing every government fee in consumer bills, with the idea that people who are aware of taxes will be angry and motivated to demand that they be lowered. Airlines donate heavily to Republicans, who repeatedly try to repeal the law that forces carriers to include accurate information about total fares and baggage fees in price quotes at an early stage. They figure that once you announce to your friends and family that you’re planning a trip, it’s hard to back out after the sticker shock hits, and after it does they hope you’ll blame taxes and fees. As The Chicago Tribune noted in an article referenced below, “Airline representatives say having governmental permission to quote a low but unbookable ticket price boosts ticket sales and helps the industry. They also claim it highlights the high taxes passengers pay for their tickets.
How much effect this has actually had is debatable, but it’s a strategy the right have used repeatedly, and restaurateurs have used the same tactic. Since the minimum wage increase last year, some have been listing a separate charge for service and health care on their bills. Customers often aren’t warned about this, and in some cases it has caused anger against either the owners or the law.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. Some restaurateurs who are being forced to raise prices due to Trump’s tariffs on imported cheeses and wines are considering creating a “Trump tariff surcharge” information card with revised prices. This makes it so they don’t have to reprint their menus, and they can just stop handing out the card when and if the tariffs are rescinded. It’s an ingenious solution that will put the blame where it belongs, and unlike the service charge that often isn’t seen until the end of the meal, this one will be obvious from the beginning.
(edited to reflect that the law mandating honest airline pricing that was enacted in 2011 and that Republicans have tried to repeal is still in effect, though there are ongoing attempts to change this. See www.chicagotribune.com/...)