The US Department of Transportation will fine Delta Air Lines up to $100,000 for a misleading ad which offered ‘each way’ fares but a round-trip purchase was compulsory.
DOT said the mandatory round-trip purchase rule should have been "clearly and conspicuously noted."
Atlanta-based Delta ran the fare promotion on its website from November 2012 to February 2014, along with a disclaimer at the bottom of the page in "light-colored fine print" explaining the round-trip requirement.
Delta claimed "the risk of consumer confusion was minimal" due to the terms and conditions explained on the page and each of the fares linked to another web page with a "prominent notice."
The carrier agreed to amend the text on the website, increasing its size and changing its color to make it more prominent.
In a statement Delta said it "works to ensure that our advertising is clear and accurate and in this case, we believe that our advertisements complied with this policy and with the DOT’s rules, but we have agreed to compromise with the DOT."
Both parties agreed to a $100,000 civil penalty, and Delta will pay only half of it fi it does not repeat the offense.
