$60M Domestic Airlines Price-Fixing Class Action
Photo Credit: Unsplash | Published: April 6, 2025
Claim Form Deadline: Pending
Estimated Payout: Varies
Proof required: N/A
If you purchased domestic airline tickets between July 2011 and June 2018, four major U.S. airlines (American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines) have been accused of colluding to artificially increase airfare prices by limiting flight capacity despite dropping fuel costs and stable demand. This alleged conspiracy violated federal antitrust laws, specifically the Sherman Act, and resulted in consumers paying inflated prices for domestic air travel. Two airlines have already reached settlements while denying any wrongdoing. The total settlement is $60 million.
Airline Class Action Update: The class action lawsuit against major U.S. airlines (see list below) is still ongoing. The class action court has denied motions for summary judgment from United and Delta, who are now seeking to appeal or have the original class action settlement decision reconsidered. American Airlines and Southwest have already settled for $45 million and $15 million respectively, but these funds are being held until the class action appeals conclude.
• American Airlines, Inc.,
• Delta Air Lines, Inc.,
• Southwest Airlines Co.,
• United Airlines, Inc.
Settlement Funds from Other Airlines
In the meantime, the settlement funds from the earlier settlements with American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are still being held in escrow (a special account). These settlement funds won't be distributed to class members until the class action lawsuit case against United and Delta is fully resolved, either through a settlement, a dismissal, or a final judgment at trial.Who is Excluded from the Airline Settlement?
The court has also approved guidance from the class lawyers in the domestic airline class action litigation on who is excluded from the American Airlines and Southwest Airlines settlement classes. The exclusions don't just apply to the judges overseeing the case, but also to court staff, law clerks, and other court personnel involved in the litigation. This is because they are considered "agents" of the judges.The airlines class action lawsuit alleges that several large domestic airlines (American, United, Delta, and Southwest, US Airways and Continental Airlines), worked together to price-fix the cost of tickets. According to the class action lawsuit, airlines allegedly illegally agreed to set prices in order to increase fares by limiting capacity on domestic flights intentionally and maliciously, resulting in the artificial and agreed upon price gouging of their collective customers. The settlement is still being litigated for the rest of the airlines that have not yet contributed to the settlement funds in total of $60,000,000.
Is the Domestic Airlines Class Action Settlement Delayed?
At this time, the settlement funds received in the American Airlines and Southwest Airlines Settlements, less the Court-approved notice costs, remain in escrow. This is until the other two airlines, United and Delta either: settle, are dismissed, or receive a favorable judgment in which they will not have to contribute to the settlement fund on top of the already agreed-upon $60 million by Southwest and American Airlines.How Do I Qualify?
The domestic airline settlement include any people or entities/business that meet the following requirements:• Those who purchased air passenger transportation services for flights,
• Within the United States and its territories and the District of Columbia,
• From Defendants or any predecessor, and any affiliates, including US Airways and Continental,
• At any time between July 1, 2011 and June 14, 2018
How Much Can I Get Paid?
The exact amount each eligible settlement class member will receive remains undetermined at this time. Given the potentially large number of class members, individual payouts may be modest. Additionally, the settlement administrators have indicated that it might not be economically practical to make direct cash distributions until additional settlements or judgments are achieved in the ongoing litigation against Delta and United Airlines. The amount ultimately received by each settlement class member may increase at the close of litigation against these remaining defendants.What are the Important Dates?
Key dates related to this settlement include:• Class period: July 1, 2011, to June 14, 2018 (for the American Airlines settlement)
• Class period for Southwest settlement: July 1, 2011, to December 20, 2017
• Southwest agreed to settle for $15 million in January 2018
• American Airlines reached a $45 million settlement in June 2018
• As of April 2025, the class action lawsuit against Delta and United Airlines is continuing, with these airlines recently being denied motions for summary judgment
How Do I File a Claim?
A notice about the claims process, including the beginning and end of the claim period, will be made at a later date as ordered by the Court. If you want to receive a notice about the claims process or future settlements, you should submit your contact information on the Registration Form here.The Domestic Airlines Price-Fixing Class Action represents a significant development for consumers who purchased domestic airline tickets between 2011 and 2018. While two airlines have settled for a combined $60 million, litigation continues against Delta and United Airlines. No payments will be distributed until all cases are resolved, either through settlement or trial.
If you believe you may be eligible for compensation, the most important step right now is to register on the official settlement website to ensure you receive updates when the claims process begins. The settlement administrators will provide detailed instructions for submitting claims at that time.
References:
• WESH 2 News Orlando Florida
• 13ABC WTVG
• Travel Pulse
How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?
Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:Claim Form Website: DomesticAirClass.com
Submit Form
Filing Class Action Settlement Claims
Please note that your claim form will be rejected if you submit a settlement claim for payout with any fraudulent information. By providing this information and your sworn statement of its veracity, you agree to do so under the penalty of perjury. You would also be harming others that actually qualify for the class action settlement. If you are not sure whether or not you qualify for this class action settlement, visit the class action administrator's website below. OpenClassActions.com is only providing information and is not a class action administrator or a law firm. OpenClassActions is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.
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