Seattle attorney Steve Berman of law firm Hagens Berman has filed a federal antitrust class-action lawsuit alleging that several major U.S. airlines secretly shared sensitive pricing information to restrict competition and inflate ticket prices, according to a report by Source ONE News.
The lawsuit, Ward et al. v. Airline Tariff Publishing Company et al. (Case No. 2:26-cv-04289), was filed on November 4, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The complaint names seven airlines as defendants: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Air Group, Hawaiian Holdings, and JetBlue Airways. Also named are airline pricing technology firms Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO) and 3Victors.
Filed on behalf of airline passengers Ashley Ward and Gregory Morris, the 99-page complaint alleges the defendants violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. The lawsuit claims that ATPCO expanded its data distribution capabilities in 2023, allowing carriers to access sensitive pricing details unavailable to general consumers. Using technology provided by 3Victors—specifically software named Iris and PriceEye—airlines allegedly monitored confidential competitor pricing decisions and individualized discounts. The complaint describes a reciprocal arrangement under which carriers contributed their own pricing data to observe competitors' fares, reducing incentives for aggressive price cuts.
The legal action compares the practice to a 1990s federal enforcement action. In December 1992, the U.S. Department of Justice sued major airlines and ATPCO over computerized fare-sharing, resulting in consent decrees and a March 1994 settlement designed to protect price competition.
The current lawsuit seeks to represent two classes of domestic ticket purchasers from the four years preceding the filing. One proposed class covers customers of Southwest, Alaska Airlines, or JetBlue, while the second covers United Airlines passengers. The plaintiffs are seeking financial damages, including potential triple damages permitted under federal antitrust law, as well as court orders prohibiting the alleged data-sharing practices.
As of November 2026, the claims remain disputed and unproven. No class has been certified by the court, and no judicial finding has established that airlines unlawfully overcharged passengers.
