Chicago, IL: United Airlines is facing a consumer fraud lawsuit filed by a MileagePlus member who alleges the airline doesn't give passengers full credit for the numbers of miles they actually fly.
Filed by Hongbo Han, the potential class action lawsuit, entitled Hongbo Han v. United Continental Holdings Inc., et al., Case No. 13-cv-2067, U.S. District Court, Illinois Northern District Court, states: "United has breached its MileagePlus contract with millions of its members. . . by not actually awarding the miles actually flown by them, as United had promised."
Instead, "United awarded miles much closer to the direct distance (i.e., a straight line point-to-point irrespective of flight route) between the origin and the destination instead of actually flown miles for each flight."
Han, who claims to be a MileagePlus member since 2009, states that he has obtained Premier status based on how often he flies. For example, he said that on a $1,166 round-trip between Beijing Capital International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, the actual flown distance was 7,276 miles and 7,043 miles, according to his research. However, he claims United Airlines awarded him "only" 6,920 miles each way, shortchanging him by at least 479 miles, plus another 119 miles for his Premier status.
Hon has filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and all current and former MileagePlus members, as well as former members of Continental Airlines' OnePass Program. Continental and United merged on October 1, 2010.
