A proposed class action lawsuit against JetBlue has been filed before the federal court of Brooklyn by a passenger who accuses the airline of using trackers to set dynamic prices and share data with third parties with the aim of deciding when to raise fares.
The complaint alleges that this practice violates consumers' privacy and seeks compensation for alleged violations of the federal wiretapping law and of New York state consumer protection regulations. The plaintiff is Andrew Phillips.
"Consumers should not have their privacy rights violated to participate in JetBlue's digital race for airline tickets that should cost the same for every passenger under similar conditions" - Andrew Phillips, plaintiff
The controversy was activated after a complaint on social media
The conflict originated on April 18, after an exchange on the social network X. In that exchange of messages, a passenger claimed that the price of a ticket had risen 230 dollars in a single day.
The airline's initial response in that conversation was rectified days later. JetBlue, based in Long Island City, explained on Monday that that answer was incorrect and defended that fares can change at any time as seats are sold or inventory is adjusted based on demand.
JetBlue denies using personal data to set fares
The company rejects the accusations and assures that it does not use personal data nor artificial intelligence to establish the price of tickets. That is, for now, the airline's main line of defense against a claim that focuses on the use of digital tracking tools in the sale of flights.
The lawsuit alleges that JetBlue shares data with third parties to determine when to increase prices. That point is part of the core of the accusation and remains under discussion in court.
Request for explanations from Congress
The controversy has also reached the political sphere. Two Democratic legislators from Congress have asked JetBlue for a detailed response on whether it uses personal data to inform its prices.
The procedure seeks damages and opens a new front for the airline in an increasingly broad debate about privacy, digital tracking and pricing systems in the airline sector. The case has just started in Brooklyn and must now clarify if there was a practice contrary to consumer protection legislation and the federal regulations invoked by the plaintiff.