Airlines Hit With Fare-Data Class Actions as Horizon Pilots Sue Over Fatigue

Seven of the largest US airlines have been accused in proposed class-action lawsuits of using a shared data platform to keep airfares artificially high. The suits open a new legal front for an industry already under scrutiny over how it prices tickets.

A complaint filed on Nov. 4 in federal court in Seattle names American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc., Southwest Airlines Co., JetBlue Airways Corp., and Alaska Air Group Inc.’s Alaska and Hawaiian units. A second suit, in federal court in Virginia, targets a smaller group of carriers. Both name the Airline Tariff Publishing Co., the industry-owned fare distribution company, and its 3Victors subsidiary.

The plaintiffs allege that 3Victors tools let airlines see rivals’ offers, including ones that never led to a sale, and match discounts quickly. They name a shopping-data repository called Iris and a fare-comparison product called PriceEye. The suits say the practice discouraged price cuts in violation of the Sherman Act. No court has ruled on the claims.

At Alaska’s regional subsidiary, meanwhile, pilots have taken management to court. Teamsters Local 1224, which represents nearly 650 Horizon Air pilots, sued in federal court in Washington state. The union alleges the airline breached a 2022 agreement by forcing pilots who report fatigue at their home base to fly as passengers to another city before they can rest.

The union cited five incidents since July, including two Portland-based pilots who were ordered to deadhead to Vancouver, British Columbia. According to the union, Horizon said it would keep up the practice while a grievance proceeds.

“Management cannot pick and choose which parts of our contract it wants to follow,” said Sean Lenney, a Horizon pilot and Local 1224 member. Separately, 99% of Horizon pilots signed a vote of no confidence in the airline’s senior vice president of operations.