Judge allows class action suit against Delta, Air Tran to proceed

[fholbert]

It's a lawsuit that now includes every passenger who's ever paid to check their first bag on a Delta or Air Tran flight.
This week, a federal judge gave lawyers the green light to bring their arguments to trial.
The two airlines enacted matching baggage fee policies in December 2008, and anyone who checked at least one bag with them since then will be getting an invitation to join a class action lawsuit.
Assuming Delta doesn't appeal, a claims administrator will start counting the tens of millions of people affected and start contacting them one by one.

Story Here: http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2015/08/judge-allows-class-action-suit-against.html

 

[surreal1221]

How wonderful.

[HASHTAG]#Idiocracy[/HASHTAG].

 

[ppragman]

How wonderful.

[HASHTAG]#Idiocracy[/HASHTAG].

Water...like from the toilet?

 

[derg]

You can sue for anything.

I'd like to spark a class action lawsuit against the restaurant industry for charging for cheese on cheeseburgers. I mean lettuce, tomato, pickle and other condiments are gratis, but cheese? Come on, America. COME ON!

 

[jwp_145]

Water...like from the toilet?

Its got electrolytes... its what plants crave.

 

[mshunter]

Ridiculous. If you don't want to pay a bag fee, fly a different airline, or don't bring a suitcase that measures 48x40.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

Ridiculous. If you don't want to pay a bag fee, fly a different airline, or don't bring a suitcase that measures 48x40.

Well, see, that competitive choice is kinda the point here. According to the story, the basis of this case is anti-competitive practices, to wit, collusion. When an adequate regulatory structure is lacking, the only redress left is a legal appeal... as inefficient as that process is. There is no civilized competition without toothy oversight.

 

[derg]

Or re-regulate. If the general public really wants that level of control over non-safety related items, put their big boy (and girl) pants on, re-regulate and pay the price.

I'm sorry Mrs. McButters, I'm not working for free so you can get to Disneyworld "cheaply".

 

[mshunter]

Or re-regulate. If the general public really wants that level of control over non-safety related items, put their big boy (and girl) pants on, re-regulate and pay the price.

I'm sorry Mrs. McButters, I'm not working for free so you can get to Disneyworld "cheaply".

Yes. You can't have it both ways. I find it hard to believe that AirTran and Delta were in cahoots.

 

[gotWXdagain]

Well it is strange that literally every airline in the U.S. now charges the exact same $ for checked bags.

So it might not be outright collusion, but there is no "choice" left in the market, except the choice to pay a higher airfare for a free checked bag.

 

[mshunter]

Well it is strange that literally every airline in the U.S. now charges the exact same $ for checked bags.

So it might not be outright collusion, but there is no "choice" left in the market, except the choice to pay a higher airfare for a free checked bag.

Yeah. SWA fly's bags free. Spirit charges for overhead bin space(IIRC).

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Well, see, that competitive choice is kinda the point here. According to the story, the basis of this case is anti-competitive practices, to wit, collusion. When an adequate regulatory structure is lacking, the only redress left is a legal appeal... as inefficient as that process is. There is no civilized competition without toothy oversight.

Matching a competitor's pricing or business practices is not collusion. It's the normal course of conducting business when the market will bear the pricing or practice. There is zero evidence of collusion between Delta and AirTran. In fact, the very suggestion of it is comical.

So it might not be outright collusion, but there is no "choice" left in the market, except the choice to pay a higher airfare for a free checked bag.

You aren't guaranteed choice. You're simply guaranteed that companies will not collude. If one company raises its prices and all of its competitors match those prices because they believe the market will bear the higher price, then no collusion has taken place. Collusion only takes place if there was a coordinated and premeditated effort to raise pricing together.

 

[jwp_145]

Well it is strange that literally every airline in the U.S. now charges the exact same $ for checked bags.

So it might not be outright collusion, but there is no "choice" left in the market, except the choice to pay a higher airfare for a free checked bag.

Kinda how DPE's in any city all raise their checkride rates at the same time, and if someone starts offering them for less it becomes a problem.

 

[MikeD]

Kinda how DPE's in any city all raise their checkride rates at the same time, and if someone starts offering them for less it becomes a problem.

That DPE "disappears".

 

[hook_dupin]

There are teams of investigators at legal firms who specifically look for "opportunities" like this.

 

[derg]

Yes. You can't have it both ways. I find it hard to believe that AirTran and Delta were in cahoots.

Nothing in the business happens in a vacuum.

But passengers certainly love when we "match" fare sales, but if we both raise fares, it's all "AMMAH CAWL CHUCK SHOOMA!"

 

[derg]

That DPE "disappears".

*knuckle crack*

 

[Ajax]

Suing people, it's the new American Way

 

[dustoff17]

Suing people, it's the new American Way

Nothing "new" about this......

This suit doesn't surprise me; I figured it would happen much sooner. Read that the airlines made $1.8 Billion....that's with a "B" in baggage and ticket change charges the first quarter of this year.

 

[hook_dupin]

Suing people, it's the new American Way

Largely for the better, it's the American Way and has been so since the start of our nation. For the most part, every clarification to the Constitution has been due to a civil case.