Press Release

Nationwide class action filed against American Airlines seeks refund of all baggage fees charged for lost or damaged bags.

Washington resident Danielle Covarrubias intent on recovering baggage fees for any American Airlines passenger whose bag was delayed, lost, or damaged.

Seattle, WA July 21, 2010: On July 16, 2010, Danielle Covarrubias and her attorneys David Ongaro and Casey Ingels of the firm Ongaro Burtt & Louderback LLP filed a proposed class action lawsuit against American Airlines in the United States Western District Court of Washington. “American Airlines is just another example of how companies have forgotten about customer service,” said Ms. Covarrubias. “It seems fairly obvious to me that when you promise to do something, you should do it. Apparently, American doesn’t agree because when it charges passengers a fee for baggage service, it does not refund the money when it fails to deliver on that promise.”

American lost Ms. Covarrubias’s bag on her way from Seattle to Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 11, 2010. After learning that her bag had not arrived, Ms. Covarrubias spent the next twenty-four hours calling American Airlines for more information but the airline could not confirm where her bag was or whether it would ever be returned. Desperate for a change of clothes and simple toiletries for her business meetings, Ms. Covarrubias spent over $300 replacing her lost items.

The lawsuit requests that American Airlines provide passengers with a refund whenever it charges a baggage fee for any flight originating in the United States, but fails to deliver the bag as promised. “American Airlines has chosen to charge a fee to deliver a customer’s bag to a certain destination and, like most other airlines, has reaped significant profits from this practice. With that business decision, however, comes the obligation to either perform the service, as promised, or return the fee,” Page 2 commented Ms. Covarrubias’s attorney, David Ongaro. “It’s bad enough that most airlines now charge fees to transport baggage, but inexplicable for them to pocket the money when they fail to deliver this basic service.”

“It really comes down to doing the right thing,” said Casey Ingels. “This case is not just about recovering a fee that was unlawfully retained; it is about an entire industry that has lost touch with its customers.

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