United Airlines Class Action Challenges Cancellation Fees

Embattled United Airlines is snared in another class action alleging the company unfairly charges a change fee when customers try to rebook using credits from cancelled flights.

Plaintiffs John Sacchi and Stephen Simoni allege in their class action lawsuit that United Airlines says it won’t charge fees when customers use credit from cancelled tickets to book new flights within one year, but then customers are hit with a $125 rebooking fee when they try to use those credits.

“United’s website routinely makes these contracts that its reservation systems and personnel have no intention of honoring when the passenger later attempts to use the value of the original ticket to purchase a new flight,” alleges the United Airlines class action. “Even worse, United has continued this systematic practice for many months despite multiple complaints by consumers nationwide and the provision of a draft court complaint of the instant action this past spring.”

According to the United class action lawsuit, countless passengers have complained about United’s allegedly deceptive policy. One plaintiff claims he was charged $200 to use a $296 credit; the other says he was charged $125 to rebook using his cancelled flight credit.

The plaintiffs allege that United Airlines’ continued use of the deceptive fee for re-booking of cancelled flights into the busy summer travel season is especially egregious because of the thousands of consumer complaints and pending litigation.

“United continues to execute contracts through the height of the busy summer travel season with countless consumers on its website by assuring them with the identical statement that ‘[n]o change fee will be required’ if the subject flight is cancelled and then——only after the consumer proceeds to irreversibly cancel the flight——United imposes a fee of $125.00 to $200.00 per passenger to use the cancelled flight’s value towards a new flight,” contend the plaintiffs.

This is the second class action to hit United Airlines over change fees. Another class action was filed in September of last year alleging that United breached its contract with consumers by pocketing money passengers didn’t end up using from cancelled flights and also charging change fees up to $200.

Sacchi and Simoni seeking to represent a nationwide Class of United passengers who were charged rebooking fees under the cancelled flight policy. According to the plaintiffs, a class action is appropriate to address United Airline’s allegedly deceptive policies because individuals do not have the resources to take the huge airline to court.

“As detailed in multiple comments posted in recent months on the Internet, individual consumers typically lack the resources, ability, and knowledge to legally pursue their respective remedy of a rightful refund after United’s successful strategy to incredulously deny compensation,” the United class action states.

United Airlines is in breach of contract to the thousands of passengers forced to pay a fee to use cancelled flight credits, say the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs are seeking damages as well as injunctive relief.

The potential Class is represented by plaintiff Stephen Simoni of Law Offices of Stephen J. Simoni.

The United Airlines Deceptive Booking Fee Class Action Lawsuit is Sacchi, et al. v. United Continental Holdings Inc., et al., Case No. 2:17­-cv­-04853, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.