A multidistrict litigation alleging several major airlines engaged in schemes to keep ticket prices high will be ended for American Airlines, which has agreed to pay $45 million to settle the claims.
Lead plaintiffs alleged in the airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation that American, as well as several other major airlines, engaged in antitrust agreements to keep the price of airline tickets high for consumers.
The plaintiffs say that the airlines artificially limited the number of seats available, leading to increased prices and more than $20 billion in profits for the airlines.
American Airlines will be allowed to exit the airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation under the terms of the recent $45 million settlement agreement.
โThe settlement amount, which is three times the size of the Southwest Settlement already approved by the court, provides substantial value to the settlement class in light of the attendant risks of continued litigation,โ states the American Airlines price-fixing multidistrict litigation settlement agreement. โNot only will the $45 million cash payment provide a monetary benefit to settlement class members, the settlement also preserves their right to recover the entire amount of damages against the non-settling defendants.โ
Late last year, Southwest agreed to settle claims against them in the airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation by agreeing to pay $15 million to proposed Class Members.
The other defendants in the airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation are Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. The airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation accuses them of scheming to keep ticket prices high even though fuel and other costs were going down.
In addition to the $45 million payment, American Airlines has agreed to assist the plaintiffs in the airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation in their claims against Delta and United.
โPursuant to the Settlement Agreement, American will make a cash payment of $45 million and undertake certain actions in connection with Plaintiffs pursing their case, including making available for deposition up to three current American employees or former American employees represented by Americanโs Counsel, answering questions regarding Americanโs documents and transactional data, and producing business records and authenticity declarations or affidavits,โ states the airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation settlement agreement.
Together, the four airlines make up 80 percent of the commercial flight industry. The airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation alleges that the price-fixing scheme was in addition to higher baggage check fees, netting $21.7 billion in profit for the Big Four in 2015 alone.
After the airline price-fixing multidistrict litigation was filed, the airlines fought back arguing the plaintiffs failed to show any evidence of collusion; however, they lost their bid for dismissal with a federal judge noting that circumstantial evidence, along with parallel conduct, in this case statements by executives about seating, could establish the antitrust claims.
The plaintiffs are represented by co-lead interim class counsel Michael Hausfeld, Hilary K. Scherrer, Jeannine Kenney, Michael P. Lehmann and Bonny E. Sweeney ofย Hausfeld LLPย and Adam J. Zapala and Alexander E. Barnett ofย Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy LLP.
The Americanย Airlines Price-Fixing Class Action Lawsuitย isย In re: Domestic Airline Travel Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 1:15-mc-01404, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
UPDATE: March 2019, a website has been established for consumers who purchased a domestic airline ticket on American, Delta, Southwest, United, Continental, or US Airways to find out about a pending class action lawsuit. Click here to learn more.
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535 thoughts onAmerican Airlines Will Pay $45M To Settle Ticket Price-Fixing Lawsuit
Please add me I have used the airline quite a few times
TCA will let our viewers know as soon as the settlement website is available.
I do not fly often but have used these airlines. Please add me
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PLEASE ADD ME TO THE LIST, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN FLYING ON AMERICAN AIRLINE SINCE 2006.
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Please send me more information about American Airlines. I have been flying American Airlines since 1992 and I am an executive Platinum with this airlines and paid revenue tickets.
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TCA will let our viewers know as soon as the settlement website is available.
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TCA will let our viewers know as soon as the settlement website is available.
add me also. I used all three of the airlines
TCA will let our viewers know as soon as the settlement website is available.
Add me please I been using those airlines for years
TCA will let our viewers know as soon as the settlement website is available.
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