The Times reports that:
"Thousands of long-haul passengers affected by price-fixing by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are finally set for a refund after three passengers dropped a challenge to a £73.5 million deal struck with the airlines by American class-action lawyers."
Showing posts with label price fixing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label price fixing. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
BA Fined For Price Fixing
BA have been fined £2M by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for price fixing international air cargo fares between 2002 and 2006.
Source The Times.
Source The Times.
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
The Trouble With British Airways
It was once "the world's favourite airline", but Dispatches asks if the sun is setting on another great British institution.
Statistics volunteered by airlines reveal British Airways has mislaid more bags per passenger than any of its major European rivals since 2006. In the past 18 months BA has been caught price-fixing and suffered a disastrous opening to Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
The film features figures suggesting BA has cancelled more flights than any of its main European competitors so far this year. At the most challenging crossroads in aviation history, Dispatches assesses the reputation of our national flag carrier.
Watch it via this link
Statistics volunteered by airlines reveal British Airways has mislaid more bags per passenger than any of its major European rivals since 2006. In the past 18 months BA has been caught price-fixing and suffered a disastrous opening to Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
The film features figures suggesting BA has cancelled more flights than any of its main European competitors so far this year. At the most challenging crossroads in aviation history, Dispatches assesses the reputation of our national flag carrier.
Watch it via this link
Monday, 11 August 2008
Criminal Charges
Three former and one current British Airways executive will be taking the stand in the United Kingdom in September to face charges over their actions in a global price-fixing cartel.
Andrew Crawley current head of sales, Martin George former commercial director, Iain Burns former communications head, and Alan Burnett UK and Ireland sales head, are charged with Price-Fixing, which could see jail terms of up to five years and unlimited fines.
In Britain, the Office of Fair Trading made 'Price-Fixing' a specific criminal charge in 2002. This will be only the second such proceedings of its kind in London.
All four are charged for grievances which took place between 2004 and 2006. All three former execs resigned from the carrier in 2006.
"Four men have today been charged with cartel offences under the Enterprise Act in connection with the OFT's criminal investigation into price-fixing of fuel surcharges for long haul passenger flights," said the Office of Fair Trading in an official statement.
"[They] are charged with having dishonestly agreed with others to make or implement arrangements which directly or indirectly fixed the price for the supply in the United Kingdom of passenger air transport services by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways."
A plea agreement between British Airways and the US Department of Justice which saw the carrier being hit with a US$300 million fine, and immunity refused to ten former and current BA staff.
In this instance, Virgin Atlantic was granted immunity for its actions in the dealings as it was the whistle blower on the case.
The four in the current charge will face a judge on the 24th of September.
Source e-Travel Blackboard
Andrew Crawley current head of sales, Martin George former commercial director, Iain Burns former communications head, and Alan Burnett UK and Ireland sales head, are charged with Price-Fixing, which could see jail terms of up to five years and unlimited fines.
In Britain, the Office of Fair Trading made 'Price-Fixing' a specific criminal charge in 2002. This will be only the second such proceedings of its kind in London.
All four are charged for grievances which took place between 2004 and 2006. All three former execs resigned from the carrier in 2006.
"Four men have today been charged with cartel offences under the Enterprise Act in connection with the OFT's criminal investigation into price-fixing of fuel surcharges for long haul passenger flights," said the Office of Fair Trading in an official statement.
"[They] are charged with having dishonestly agreed with others to make or implement arrangements which directly or indirectly fixed the price for the supply in the United Kingdom of passenger air transport services by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways."
A plea agreement between British Airways and the US Department of Justice which saw the carrier being hit with a US$300 million fine, and immunity refused to ten former and current BA staff.
In this instance, Virgin Atlantic was granted immunity for its actions in the dealings as it was the whistle blower on the case.
The four in the current charge will face a judge on the 24th of September.
Source e-Travel Blackboard
Monday, 28 July 2008
Price Fixing Charges
The FT reports that four past and present British Airways executives will be charged with price fixing on transatlantic routes.
The FT reports that the charges will be brought by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), and be formally announced within the coming weeks.
The FT reports that the charges will be brought by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), and be formally announced within the coming weeks.
Friday, 15 February 2008
£10 Refunds
Here's an interesting story on the BBC site:
People who flew with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic between 11 August 2004 and 23March 2006 may be entitled to a refund of £10 per flight.
The law firm Cohen Milstein expects to sign an agreement later on Friday in a class action suit with BA and Virgin.
BA was fined by US and UK authorities for price-fixing on fuel surcharges while Virgin also admitted breaching US and UK law but escaped the fines.
BA declined to comment while Virgin could not immediately be reached.
The settlement would cover customers in the UK and the US.
Cohen Milstein estimates that the settlement will be worth about $200m (£100m), £73.5m of which will be set aside to pay claims by passengers who bought tickets in the UK in pounds sterling.
Passengers and businesses that bought tickets would be eligible for refunds of up to £10 for each leg of a journey.
BA was fined £121.5m by the Office of Fair Trading and $300m (£150m) by the US Department of Justice for colluding with Virgin on the level of fuel surcharges that would be added to their ticket prices.
Virgin escaped the fines because it had informed the authorities that the breaches had happened.
People who flew with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic between 11 August 2004 and 23March 2006 may be entitled to a refund of £10 per flight.
The law firm Cohen Milstein expects to sign an agreement later on Friday in a class action suit with BA and Virgin.
BA was fined by US and UK authorities for price-fixing on fuel surcharges while Virgin also admitted breaching US and UK law but escaped the fines.
BA declined to comment while Virgin could not immediately be reached.
The settlement would cover customers in the UK and the US.
Cohen Milstein estimates that the settlement will be worth about $200m (£100m), £73.5m of which will be set aside to pay claims by passengers who bought tickets in the UK in pounds sterling.
Passengers and businesses that bought tickets would be eligible for refunds of up to £10 for each leg of a journey.
BA was fined £121.5m by the Office of Fair Trading and $300m (£150m) by the US Department of Justice for colluding with Virgin on the level of fuel surcharges that would be added to their ticket prices.
Virgin escaped the fines because it had informed the authorities that the breaches had happened.
Friday, 28 December 2007
BA Accused Over Price Fixing
British Airways has been accused of colluding in setting prices of fuel surcharges and other levies in the provision of air freight services.
BA confirmed it received a letter of complaint from European Union regulators, alleging that it was part of a suspected air freight cartel.
The complaints were also sent to Germany's Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Scandinavia's SAS.
The airlines have the right to respond, but if found guilty, they face fines.
The European Commission that it had sent official letters, known as statements of objection, to a number of air freight firms, concerning "violation of EU rules on restrictive business practices".
Officials did not name the specific airlines involved, but BA, Air France-KLM and SAS confirmed they had each received the European Commission letter.
It follows a lengthy investigation on both sides of the Atlantic dating back to early 2006 to discover whether airlines broke competition law by operating a cartel in the air cargo sector.
But EU officials stressed that the statement of objection did not reflect the final outcome of the investigation.
The airlines have all committed to co-operate fully with the authorities.
Source BBC
BA confirmed it received a letter of complaint from European Union regulators, alleging that it was part of a suspected air freight cartel.
The complaints were also sent to Germany's Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Scandinavia's SAS.
The airlines have the right to respond, but if found guilty, they face fines.
The European Commission that it had sent official letters, known as statements of objection, to a number of air freight firms, concerning "violation of EU rules on restrictive business practices".
Officials did not name the specific airlines involved, but BA, Air France-KLM and SAS confirmed they had each received the European Commission letter.
It follows a lengthy investigation on both sides of the Atlantic dating back to early 2006 to discover whether airlines broke competition law by operating a cartel in the air cargo sector.
But EU officials stressed that the statement of objection did not reflect the final outcome of the investigation.
The airlines have all committed to co-operate fully with the authorities.
Source BBC
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