American Airlines Baggage Fees Settlement Will Put at Least $7.5 Million Back in Flyers’ Pockets [UPDATE]

American Airlines has said it will pay at least $7.5 million to settle a proposed class action that alleged the company for years wrongfully required certain flyers to pay for checked bags.

Under the proposed settlement, American Airlines will provide full 100-percent refunds to flyers who file valid claims. Court documents state that there is no cap on the amount the airline will pay above the $7.5 million minimum allotted for consumers, and flyers who submit valid claims can recover anywhere from $25 to $200 for each checked bag they were wrongfully charged for.

Be sure to scroll down to learn how you can get your money from the American Airlines baggage fee settlement.

The case, filed in Texas on February 24, 2021, alleged American Airlines failed to properly program its standardized bag check software to determine whether passengers needed to pay to check bags upon checking in for a flight.  

According to media reports, American Airlines charges anywhere from $30 to check one bag to $200 for four or more checked bags on domestic flights. Those fees can be waived, however, if a traveler is an AAdvantage member, flying first- or business-class, or holds an American Airlines-branded credit card. The lawsuit alleged the airline effectively breached its contracts with these flyers by charging them to check bags.

The class action settlement now awaits preliminary approval from the court.

Read on to learn how to file a claim, when you might get your money and more.

Who’s covered by the American Airlines baggage fee settlement?

In general, the proposed deal covers two groups of American Airlines flyers:

American Airlines ticket holders who received an email in which they were promised one or more checked bags at no charge or for “USD0.00” and were thereafter required to pay to check one or more bags on or after February 24, 2017 for tickets purchased on or before April 8, 2020.

Consumers who hold American Airlines-branded Citibank or Barclay’s credit cards that entitled them to free checked bags and who were required to pay to check one or more bags on domestic itineraries on or after February 24, 2017 for tickets bought on or before April 8, 2020.

How do I know if I’m included in the settlement?

Eligible consumers should receive notice of the proposed deal via email and/or physical mail. The notice will contain information on how to file a claim, what you could be owed, applicable deadlines and more. It will also include the URL of the official settlement website.

According to court documents, notices will be sent out shortly after the deal receives preliminary approval from the court – a crucial part of the settlement process. Specifically, email notices are expected to be sent no later than 35 days after preliminary approval, while physical mail notices should be sent no later than 50 days after this date.

As part of the deal, American Airlines must provide the settlement administrator with a list of all individuals who may be covered, as well as their last known regular mail and email addresses. The settlement administrator will use the United States Postal Services’ National Change of Address Database to update any old mailing addresses before notices are sent.

How do I get my money?

American Airlines flyers who are covered by the settlement will need to submit a claim for compensation. This can be done on the official settlement website when the time comes or by mail after notices are sent out.

Importantly, the notices sent to covered American Airlines flyers will include a personal ID number and PIN. This information will be necessary in order to file a claim for compensation, so be sure to keep it handy after you receive notice.

More importantly, when will I get my money?

Benefits from a class action settlement are typically distributed after the deal has received final approval from the court and any appeals have been resolved. We’re not quite there in the process yet, as the settlement has yet to receive preliminary approval, so it’s best to be patient while the agreement works its way through the stages of the settlement process.

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