A federal appeals court overturned a lower court's decision to dismiss a California woman's lawsuit to have US Airways' $15 bag fee refunded after they lost her luggage.
While the $15 fee might seem paltry, the woman's lawyers have sought to turn the case into a class-action lawsuit, which could put American Airlines, which took over US Air, on the hook for returning millions in luggage fees for customers whose bags failed to arrive on time.
Haley Hickcock-Huffman filed suit against US Air to get her $15 back after the bag she checked failed to arrive on her flight from San Louis Obispo, Calif., to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2013. A district court judge dismissed the suit, saying the airline never promised to refund the fee as part of its written terms of service. Under the federal Airline Deregulation Act, the judge ruled airlines are only held to a "best effort" standard in delivering luggage. More at UPI.com