- The settlement will affect purchasers of tickets for flights between the United States and Asia, Australia, New Zealand, or the Pacific Islands
San Francisco, March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP and Hausfeld, LLP, two law firms, issued the following statement:
Eight airlines have reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit over airfare pricing. The settling defendants are: Air France, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Vietnam Airlines. The five non-settling defendant airlines that will continue to face the allegations include: Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways (ANA), China Airlines (Taiwan), EVA Airways, and Philippines Airlines.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants agreed to fix prices on trans-Pacific flights. As a result, ticket purchasers may have paid more than necessary. The settling defendants deny the allegations and any liability. The non-settling defendants also deny any liability, although All Nippon Airways has admitted to allegations of selling certain discounted tickets at fixed prices.
Eligibility for claims includes: (1) purchasing a ticket from one of the 26 airlines; (2) the ticket including at least one segment between the United States and Asia or Oceania; (3) the ticket being purchased between January 1, 2000, and the present. For a full description of eligibility criteria, please visit http://www.airlinesettlement.com/ or call 1-800-439-1781 (U.S. or Canada) or 1-612-359-2900 (international).
The settling defendants have agreed to pay $39,502,000 (the settlement fund). The settlement funds have not yet been distributed and will be allocated according to a court-approved plan. Class counsel will continue to pursue the case against the non-settling defendants.
Important Notice
- Ticket purchasers will need to submit a claim form online or by mail. The earliest deadline for submitting a claim form isSeptember 19, 2015, but claims must be submitted within 120 days after the final settlement is approved and effective.
- Ticket purchasers who take no action will not receive compensation and will be deemed to have waived their right to sue.
- Ticket purchasers who wish to preserve their right to sue the defendants must opt out of the class byApril 17, 2015.
- Ticket purchasers who are members of the class may object to the settlement byApril 17, 2015.
The court will hold a hearing onMay 22, 2015to consider whether to approve the settlement. Class counsel did not seek attorney fees or reimbursement costs at this time, but will do so at the hearing. For this settlement, class counsel will request up to one-third of the settlement fund, as well as up to $7,500 for each class representative. Class counsel have also requested that the court set aside an additional $3 million from the settlement fund for future costs.
For details, important documents, and case updates, please visit the website http://www.airlinesettlement.com/.