Lawsuits Accuse 7 US Airlines Of Colluding To Raise Fares By Sharing Pricing Data

Seven major U.S. airlines are facing two proposed class action lawsuits that allege they shared confidential pricing data to avoid undercutting one another. The group includes the so-called Big Four carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines.

The lawsuits claim that the airlines used a shared database to monitor fare levels and swiftly match lower-priced tickets. The practice, according to the suits, is alleged to keep domestic ticket prices artificially high.

The actions contend that the arrangement violates federal antitrust laws by facilitating price coordination. The claims focus on pricing data sharing as a mechanism to maintain higher fares.

Details on the plaintiffs, the exact data involved, or potential remedies were not provided in the available material. No specific dates, locations, injuries, or outcomes are mentioned in the supplied material.