Department of Transportation pondering airline prices, online baggage fee disclosures

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal regulators are weighing whether to make airlines reveal prices for baggage and other fees to online sellers like Orbitz and Expedia.

Travel industry officials and consumer advocates complain it's getting harder for consumers to know the true price of air fares so they can compare across airlines.

The Department of Transportation is working on a proposal to address the issue. Regulators had planned to offer the proposal next month, but a decision has been postponed till May because the department is deluged with arguments from both sides.

Airlines don't want the government to regulate fee information. But travel industry and consumer groups do.

Airlines say they don't want passengers to buy tickets based on price alone. They want to offer customized fare packages instead.