Class Action Lawsuit May Reveal Certain Airline Fees Illegal

We all have our own favorite gripe about airlines. The dry, recycled air, the food, and the cramped conditions top most people’s lists of pet peeves. But one issue, the various fees charged by airlines, may be more than inconvenient, and could expose airlines to legal action.

The air travel industry considers fees a form of “ancillary revenue,” industry code for money made from non-ticket sources. Oddly, these fees were originally envisioned as a way of cutting costs for airlines. The original kernel of the idea was that airlines could cut the price of tickets substantially by only charging for things like in-flight movies or food for the passengers that purchased such amenities. However, these fees have grown beyond a cost-cutting measure, and have become a major source of revenue for airlines.

In the post-9/11 economic landscape, and then after the economic bust that came a few years later, the airline industry found itself strapped for cash. The rationale behind fees moved from a cost-cutting measure to a way of generating revenue. Instead of trying to give passengers a way to opt out of paying for things they don’t use, fees began to be charged for “features” many people considered standard, like checking a single bag. While this trend may have existed prior to the economic strains of the 2000s, 9/11 and the subsequent economic crash intensified the pace at which airlines began to charge these fees.

While no passengers like extra fees, some have begun to question if some of the fees are even legal. The question of legality appears most often in cases in which the fee is not explicitly described in the process of buying the ticket. One of the most controversial policies involves fees that are charged for connecting flights. In this situation, fliers purchased their tickets, but were then charged an additional fee to make a connecting flight. Since the fliers were allegedly not told of these charges until they were already traveling and had limited options, fees of this nature have attracted legal scrutiny.

A class action lawsuit investigation has been launched to explore the possibility of legal action against certain airlines. The investigation is specific to carriers including American, Delta and United Airlines. Additionally, the investigation is focusing on hidden fees that occurred during domestic travel with a connecting city. Such a class action lawsuit could seek to reclaim the monies spent on these fees, and may discourage airlines from imposing such fees in the future.

If you’ve flown American, Delta or United and were charged an extra fee due to a connection on a U.S. domestic flight, you may be entitled to compensation. To start to explore your options, you can visit the Airline Fees, Connecting City Charges, Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your situation to see if you qualify to participate in the free class action lawsuit investigation.