Why is flying so expensive these days? A Democratic congressional panel blames “junk” fees. In a 55-page report, the majority staff of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released on Tuesday its findings after a year-long inquiry into five U.S. airlines’ ancillary fees, which the report said have led to higher costs and worse experiences for consumers and, in some cases, tax avoidance by the airlines. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “Our investigation has exposed new details about airlines exploiting passengers with sky high junk fees,” said the subcommittee’s chair, Sen.