Who knew I would be able to put my lawyer-hat on so early in my travel blogging career? But it’s only been a week or two, and here I am, bringing you my hot take on the latest major lawsuit to hit the Canadian airline industry. In short, fuel surcharges seem to be a legal…
Continue reading: Air Canada Fuel Surcharge Class Action Approved
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The whole thing about class action settlements on a per class member basis being lower than the actual harm is BS. Attorneys' fees in class actions always seem insane, until you factor in how much it would cost each class member to file their own suits individually. The bigger issue in class actions like these is preventing big companies with the power to force us to pay for things like exorbitant fuel surcharges every time we fly. Even if you don't qualify as a class member, it's hard to imagine even a settlement in this case wouldn't put a stop to AC's fuel surcharge practices, thus benefiting all of us as consumers. Also, even if you do qualify as a class member, think about how much it would have cost you to hire your own lawyer to deal with this issue (short answer: far more than you would ever receive in damages as an individual class member). In a class action, the lawyers fees are a bargain in comparison.
I remember the baloney they told us about record high fuel prices being the reason for fuel surcharges. Then the price dropped to a record low, yet they kept as ancillary revenue. It might have started as a legit reason, but now it is a scam.
"...power to force us to pay for things like exorbitant fuel surcharges every time we fly."
Wow, you've been "forced" to purchase tickets and fly? That has to be a little unsettling.