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Bonus Points - Case Study: 14-9214 - United Airlines, Inc. et al v. Zaman

Due Apr 25, 2022 by 11:59pm
Points 15
Submitting a text entry box or a file upload
Available Apr 10, 2022 at 3pm - May 15, 2022 at 11:59pm

This assignment was locked May 15, 2022 at 11:59pm.

Students,

Read the case study and answer the questions below. This assignment is worth 15 bonus points

14-9214 - United Airlines, Inc. et al v. Zaman

In late 2014, an online travel agent and airline combined forces to sue a 22-year-old and his company Skiplagged.com. Skiplagged helped users find less expensive flights by uncovering “hidden city” tickets. These are flights with stopovers in multiple locations, whereby the passenger gets off at one of the stopover cities rather than the final destination (Harris and Sasso, 2014).

Hidden city tickets work when the cost to travel from point A to point B to point C is less expensive than a trip from point A to point B. Passengers book the entire flight but get off at the stopover. This practice is generally forbidden by airlines because of safety concerns and challenges to logistics as it renders passenger counts inaccurate, causing potential delays and fuel miscalculations. If discovered, it can result in a passenger having his or her ticket voided.

The lawsuit against Skiplagged founder Aktarer Zaman stated that the site “intentionally and maliciously … [promoted] prohibited forms of travel” (Harris and Sasso, 2014, ¶ 4). Orbitz (an OTA) and United Airlines claimed that Zaman’s website unfairly competed with their business, while making it appear these companies were partners and endorsing the activity by linking to their websites.

Based on this case summary, answer the following questions:

What are the dangers and inconveniences of having passengers deplane partway through a voyage? In addition to those listed here, come up with two more.
Could this lawsuit and the ensuing publicity result in unintended negative consequences for United and Orbitz? What might these be?
On the other hand, could the suit have unintended positive results for Skiplagged.com? Try to name at least three.
Should Zaman be held responsible for facilitating this type of travel already in practice? Or should passengers bear the responsibility? Why or why not?
Imagine your flight is delayed because a passenger count is inaccurate, and fuel must be recalculated. What action would you take, if any?
Read the attached the case to see what updates are available (United Airlines Inc. v. Zaman, 14-cv-9214, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). Was the outcome what you predicted? Why or why not? USCOURTS-ilnd-1_14-cv-09214-0-1.pdf Download USCOURTS-ilnd-1_14-cv-09214-0-1.pdf