Delta Air Lines is being fined up to $100,000 for advertising fares as “each way” when they require a round-trip purchase.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said the round-trip purchase requirement should be “clearly and conspicuously noted.”
The agency said Atlanta-based Delta violated the requirement when it advertised fare specials on its website from November 2012 to February 2014 where each fare was followed by an asterisk referring to a disclaimer at the bottom in “light-colored fine print” that noted the round-trip purchase requirement.
Delta maintained that “the risk of consumer confusion was minimal” because of the asterisked explanation and because the fares linked to a second page with a “prominent notice.” The airline also in response revised the text on its homepage, increased the size and changed the color from grey to white against a blue background.
DOT and Delta settled on a $100,000 civil penalty to avoid litigation, though the airline can avoid paying half the fine if it does not repeat the violation.
In a written statement, Delta said it “always works to ensure that our advertising is clear and accurate. 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.”
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