Three Recent Flight Website Lawsuits

If you’ve ever wondered why a legacy airline would sue a flight website, you’re not alone. Many online travel agencies and airlines have sued new competitors that unearth cheap airfare and charge outrageous prices. In this article, we’ll explore three recent examples and how these lawsuits have affected their bottom line. Hopefully, this will provide the basis for a new legal dispute. Until then, though, you can find cheap airfare on Skiplagged, Southwest Airlines, and Orbitz.

Skiplagged

A new lawsuit against the Skiplagged flight website may have consumers wondering whether or not they should use it. The company issuing for violating federal antitrust law by allowing travelers to book a flight using a hidden-city ticket. This practice has been around for several years and has been called an industry-standard method of ticketing. It is also known as hidden-city ticketing because travelers can buy a ticket for a cheaper itinerary that has a layover. However, not all travel companies are liable in the case of consumer misdeeds.

Airlines have also been suing Skiplagged for enforcing this policy. While it’s legal to offer hidden-city tickets, airlines do not like this method, which increases overall airfare costs. That’s why most airlines have explicitly forbidden this practice. The lawsuits are meant to enforce the fine print, which is a major flaw with hidden-city ticketing. However, the companies will continue to fight the lawsuit.

In the meantime, the lawsuit has already had some success. In February, the court found that Skiplagged’s practice of showing hidden-city fares in its prices was unconstitutional. While the court ruling against Skiplagged is not definitive, it does provide a precedent for other airlines to sue. Despite this decision, Skiplagged remains a popular website for cheap travel. The website is so popular that it has become a worldwide phenomenon. And since it’s so cheap, many people have taken the plunge.

Southwest Airlines

This lawsuit alleges that a flight search website owned by Southwest Airlines damages the company’s goodwill and reputation. This is a pretty significant claim for an airline that promotes itself as being consumer-friendly. While the start-up’s services were initially manual, the service later implemented an algorithm that tracks price changes. However, the start-up closed down its services in November, making only $45 in revenue. However, it left its website live and the details of the dispute are available there.

In the suit, Southwest asserts several causes of action, including breach of contract, violation of the CFAA, Texas state computer trespass law, and unjust enrichment and Lanham Act claims. The airline is requesting monetary damages and an injunction barring Kiwi from scraping its flight website in the future. The airline also claims that the unauthorized sale of its flights hurts its reputation.

Skiplagged is another service suing Southwest Airlines. The website allows people to find two-step flights at a reduced price than one direct flight. This way, travelers don’t have to worry about checking their bags or missing their connections. Also, the site warns passengers that their plane won’t wait for them, which slows down the flight and causes airports to be crowded with misplaced luggage. It’s also worth noting that Southwest Airlines’ flight website allows people to choose cheap one-stop fares because of the competition.

Orbitz

An Orbitz flight website lawsuit claims that the company has failed to disclose hidden city fares, causing customers to book multiple flights and deplane before their destination. While such booking is not illegal, airlines say it creates unnecessary safety concerns. In addition, many airlines levy debit memos against travel agencies that sell hidden-city fares. In addition, some airlines pull plates if they find out about such websites.

The company has also been sued by Skiplagged, a company that helps consumers find cheaper fares to hidden cities. Skiplagged is run by Aktarer Zaman, a 22-year-old college graduate who interned at Cisco Systems and worked at Amazon. He runs a website that lets consumers search for cheap airfares, which links to Orbitz. The lawsuit is being heard in court, but the founder has declined to comment on the legal dispute.

United and Orbitz call Skiplagged’s actions “unfair competition.” They allege that the website promotes travel that is prohibited by law. While the company is correct in claiming that Skiplagged’s actions violate the airline’s rules, shutting down its site will not prevent passengers from using “hidden city” ticketing services. The fact remains that many travelers use hidden-city ticketing to save money.