In-Flight Gogo Internet Just Doesn’t Work, Class Action Says

Gogo Inc. has been hit with a class action lawsuit over allegations that the in-flight internet service offered on numerous major airlines simply doesn’t work.

Plaintiffs Charles Salameno, Maria-Angela Sanzone, and John Jensen say they regularly purchased Gogo internet during airline travel based on the company’s claims of being fast, safe and reliable.

However, the Gogo class action lawsuit states that each of the promises made by the airline internet provider are false. According to the plaintiffs, Gogo touts its products’ speed by claiming “Is Gogo fast? Is the sky blue? The Gogo experience is best compared to mobile broadband service on the ground – except with a whole lot more altitude.”

The Gogo internet class action lawsuit alleges that the service provider makes misleading representations about what consumers can expect. In addition to not working as promised, the plaintiffs claim Gogo exposes airline internet users to malicious spying, hacking, tampering, and theft.

Sanzone says that about once per month for three years, she purchased Gogo internet during airline travel. She claims that at various times the service would function so slowly, crash or disconnected entirely that she considered it useless.

The plaintiff claims that she filed a complaint with Gogo regarding its service and was sent a complimentary code for use on another flight. Sanzone says she then tried to redeem her free code during a flight but the airline internet service failed to function at all.

According to the lawsuit, the description of services on the Gogo website make the company liable for fraud. The plaintiffs argue that each of the following descriptions made by Gogo regarding its product are false:

• “60 minutes of continuous access on any single domestic Gogo equipped flight with any participating airline”
• “Stay connected with 24 hours of continuous access on Gogo equipped flights to the same airline,”
• “Gogo has built an uninterrupted network in the sky over the entire continental United States… With nothing but airspace between these towers and your plane, you’re always getting the best connection … you can rest assured that it is reliable and safe…. I can’t wait for 10,000 feet”
• “Is Gogo fast? Is the sky blue? The Gogo experience is best compared to mobile broadband service on the ground – except with a whole lot more altitude. All you need is a Wi-Fi enabled device, a Gogo account, and a burning desire to access exclusive in-air experiences available only on Gogo”

If approved, the Gogo internet class action would be open to all U.S. Class Members who purchased Gogo service on flights which occupied Federal Aviation Administration regulated United States airspace since Jan. 30, 2010 and who suffered injury due to the products’ failure to function as represented. In addition, the Gogo lawsuit seeks to represent a subclass of New York residents similarly described.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Clifford R. Tucker, Bryan D. Fisher and Thomas J. Fisher of Fisher Injury Lawyers.

The Gogo In-Flight Internet Class Action Lawsuit is Salameno, et al. v. Gogo Inc., et al., Case No. 1:16-CV-00487-JBW-VMS in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.