British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways might have illegally colluded together to fix fuel surcharge increases for flights between the US and Britain.
Investigation and pending class action lawsuit against British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways claiming that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have worked together to illegally fix the prices of fuel surcharges charged in the U.S. and across the world, costing air-traveling consumers millions of dollars.
Fuel surcharges are temporary price increases designed to offset specific external cost increases, purportedly the rise in fuel cost. According to the complaint, while oil prices have risen from $40 to approximately $70 a barrel, the defendants have coordinated surcharges as high as 14-fold. According to the complaint, the British Airways and Virgin Atlantic raised the fuel surcharges in lockstep, coordinated through telephone conversations by airline executives. In 2006, the United Kingdom of Fair Trade and the United States Department of Justice began investigations of these practices.
If you purchased airline tickets and traveled between the United States and London and could like more information on this suit, click here.
Defendant Details
Name (Stock Symbol)
Brief Description
British Airways Plc
British Airways Plc is a UK based commercial airline.