"Judge includes millions of passengers in airline ticketing lawsuit"

Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Judge includes millions of passengers in airline ticketing lawsuit 
The Associated Press


A federal judge says millions of airline passengers will be included in
a lawsuit filed against three carriers over a disputed cost-saving
practice known as "hidden-city ticketing." 

Passengers who use the practice try to save money by using only part of
a multi-stop ticket. For example, a traveler would buy a ticket for a
flight with an intermediate stop, then get off at that stop, in cases
where the price for the two-stop trip is cheaper than flying direct to
their destination. 

Airlines say doing so constitutes fraud and penalize travelers who do
not use their entire ticket. 

Passengers have challenged the airlines' rules in court, accusing them
of unlawfully conspiring to violate federal antitrust laws by
prohibiting certain ticket purchases that resulted in lower costs for
travelers. The lawsuit seeks about $1 billion in damages. 

In certifying the class action, U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen
decided Tuesday that the suit will include all passengers who bought
full-fare Northwest Airlines tickets that began or ended with flights at
Northwest's Detroit or Minneapolis hubs since October 1992. 

It also will include US Airways passengers who bought tickets for travel
at airports in Pittsburgh or Charlotte since 1995 and Delta Air Lines
passengers who bought tickets since 1995 involving trips that ended or
began in Atlanta or Cincinnati. 

Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch told The Detroit News the ruling was
"an expected step." He declined further comment. 

The judge has not set a trial date.


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