Re:The TSA's New $45 Fee to Fly Without ID Is Illegal
by Forgeties79 on Tuesday February 03, 2026 @07:55AM
(#46870415)
This is such an odd point that some of you are arguing. Reads like typical internet heel digging tbh.
The point is that lots of people will pay this fee and it will equal a large amount of money and it does nothing of value. It’s just a fee for the fee’s sake. It serves no practical purpose, it’s just punitive. You still get to fly. There’s no safety element, there’s nothing the RealID enables that costs something without it, there is no clear reason here for this.
What is the actual legitimate purpose of this fee that millions will likely pay? Almost half the country flies annually and as of April 2025 20% of travelers didn’t have a RealID. So we’re talking millions of people, some of which will pay it multiple times, per year until full compliance. This is going to net a consequential amount of money and it doesn’t seem like it’s for any purpose other than to generate revenue.
The point is that lots of people will pay this fee and it will equal a large amount of money and it does nothing of value. It’s just a fee for the fee’s sake. It serves no practical purpose, it’s just punitive. You still get to fly. There’s no safety element, there’s nothing the RealID enables that costs something without it, there is no clear reason here for this.
What is the actual legitimate purpose of this fee that millions will likely pay? Almost half the country flies annually and as of April 2025 20% of travelers didn’t have a RealID. So we’re talking millions of people, some of which will pay it multiple times, per year until full compliance. This is going to net a consequential amount of money and it doesn’t seem like it’s for any purpose other than to generate revenue.