A PYMNTS Company

US: Airlines lose bid to dismiss price-fixing lawsuit

By  |  October 31, 2016

A federal judge rejected a bid by the four largest US airlines to dismiss nationwide antitrust litigation by passengers who accused them of conspiring to raise fares by keeping seating capacity artificially low.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    In a decision late Friday afternoon, US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she could “reasonably infer the existence of a conspiracy” among American Airlines Group Inc , Delta Air Lines Inc , Southwest Airlines Co and United Continental Holdings Inc to fix prices.

    Kollar-Kotelly, who sits in Washington, DC, did not rule on the merits of the proposed class-action case, which combines 105 lawsuits filed around the country and seeks triple damages.

    The US Department of Justice last year began its own probe into a possible conspiracy among the airlines, which, according to government data, command a roughly 69-percent domestic market share.

    Full Content: Philly

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.