WILMINGTON, N.C. -- A travel agency owner in Wilmington, N.C.,
filed a class action lawsuit against 11 commission-cutting air
carriers in the Superior Court of Hanover County, N.C., on Oct. 27.
Delta Air Lines revealed the lawsuit in a Securities and
Exchange Commission last week.
Sarah Hall, the owner of Travel Impressions since 1994, said she
decided to file the suit against the carriers for "unfair business
practices" after the cuts in early October.
"I've been an agent since 1985 and I'm just trying to survive in
this industry," Hall said. "I don't know what else to do. I keep
hearing that agents have to change their business, but how many
times do we have to change?
"I do mostly leisure, but a good portion of my business still
relies on airline tickets."
In the lawsuit, Hall contends the carriers "tortuously
interfered with the prospective contractual relationship between
travel agents and customers; engaged in unfair competition; entered
into a conspiracy in restraint of trade; monopolized or attempted
to monopolized the sale of airline tickets, and breached a
fiduciary duty owed to travel agents."
Hall has requested a jury trial and seeks to recover unspecified
treble damages, punitive damages and attorneys fees and costs.
"What's next?" Hall asked. "If the airlines can keep doing this
to us then what's to stop everyone else from cutting commissions as
well?"
Hall, who is being represented by Anderson, Daniel and Cox, a
Wilmington law firm, said other area agents have been "very
supportive" of her effort. A Delta spokeswoman said the lawsuit is
"without merit" and that the carrier will "vigorously defend the
matter."