According to reports, the legal action was lodged at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Tuesday of this week by two customers who claim they were unfairly discriminated against because they were outside the age range of the discount.
Fuiolevaga Riddick 23, of Los Angeles, and David Pacheco 67 of San Diego, claim the special offer violates Californian anti-discrimination laws.
According to United, the special offer was to try and make air travel more available to younger people without much money who are either still in college or just starting their careers. A spokesperson for United said, “It is a shame that a few individuals take issue with an offer that is intended to make travel more accessible to more people - We believe this lawsuit is completely baseless and will defend ourselves vigorously.”
These sorts of petty legal fights, where there is no real harm done, are commonplace in the U.S. It would be interesting to know where and when Riddick and Pacheco were intending to fly to in order to find out what the discount would have been for them. I'd wager it would have been less than $20 each, that is if there were really intending to fly and not just looking for an opportunity to try to make a quick buck. If they win, it won't be United that looses, it will be the rest of the travelling public as no age-related discounts will be run again and fares will rise.
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