American Airlines Agrees to Settle Baggage Fee Lawsuit

American Airlines earned about 1.2 billion dollars (yes, that’s a b) last year in baggage fees. According to a group of passengers in Texas, California, Missouri and Minnesota, however, some portions of those fees were wrongfully obtained by the airline, and a group of passengers have filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in Texas.

The suit alleges that some passengers, who should have been exempt from such fees based on their frequent flyer status or their airline credit card programs, were charged anyway. Many of these passengers had been complaining on social media about the charges, and a suit was organized and filed by several attorneys and firms around the country.

American has agreed to pay at least $7.5 million to the affected passengers who were overcharged between February 24, 2017, and April 9, 2020. The refunds to each passenger will range from $25 to $200 per each overcharge incident.

The suit and settlement does not affect all travelers who were charged bag fees, as the airline has the right to make such charges, but only affects those who were supposed to be exempt from baggage fees based upon their traveling status with the airline or their credit card terms. If you think you may have been wrongfully charged for baggage fees during the relevant three-year period, be on the lookout for a notice. American says those affected will be notified. You can read a copy of the complaint here.