US low cost carrier, Spirit Airlines, is being sued by a passenger over "usage" fees.
USA Today and McClatchy Newspapers are reporting that a passenger has started a class action suit against the airline, claiming the fee is "fraudulent, deceptive and unconscionable".
Law firm Podhurst Orseck, representing the plaintiff, says the fees have no value and are presented by the airline as if they are government-required, when they are not.
Spirit Airlines is dismissing the allegations of fraudulent activity, saying the fee is collected for tickets sold through its primary sales distribution channels, such as its website, to cover transaction costs and other third-party expenses.
USA Today reports that the fee can be avoided by buying tickets at the airport counter. They also say that Spirit will have to prove that they are not deliberately deceiving the buying public into believing the fee is a mandated government tax.
by Gretchen Kelly, Editor TravelMole US
