At a congressional hearing on Wednesday, senators framed the tacked-on fees for passenger seats or bags as akin to extortion. Airline executives pushed back, saying they gave customers options.

Airline executives pushed back against claims of travel "junk" fees in a testy exchange with lawmakers. during a Senate hearing on Wednesday. Members of the panel led by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal accused airlines of charging obscure fees,

Some senators expressed frustration during Wednesday's hearing when airline executives could not explain how they set the amount of various fees.