Fuel Surcharge:Price Fixing

[ebkallen]

http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1126705.php

[NCL_Cruiser]

http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1126705.php

 

 

A few things:

 

NCL wasn't named in the article, so I'm not sure why it's relevant here.

 

RCCL has already agreed to refund some of the surcharges they collected, as they were not billed retroactive to the booking being made and paid toward.

 

As it is, this article is more than three weeks old, so it's history, not news.

[ebkallen]

Cruise lines accused of price fixing

 

Several Miami-based cruise giants-including Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line—have been named in a complaint seeking class action status alleging the cruise companies colluded to fix unreasonably high fuel surcharges, according to The Miami Herald.

 

The Florida attorney general's office announced earlier this month that it was investigating whether Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corp. properly disclosed fuel surcharges.

 

The suit says anyone who purchased tickets after 1 January from one of several cruise companies named in the complaint paid an unreasonably high fuel surcharge illegally set by the companies.

 

Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corp. announced a $5-a-guest fuel charge in November and began applying it on voyages starting 1 February.

 

Also in November, Oceania Cruises said it would implement a fuel surcharge of $7 per person, per day. Windstar Cruises and Majestic America Line raised fuel fees to $8.50 per person per day, according to the Herald.

 

The suit alleges that the nearly identical spate of fuel hikes is proof of price fixing among cruise lines.

[FIRELT5]

A few things:

 

NCL wasn't named in the article, so I'm not sure why it's relevant here.

 

RCCL has already agreed to refund some of the surcharges they collected, as they were not billed retroactive to the booking being made and paid toward.

 

As it is, this article is more than three weeks old, so it's history, not news.

 

Actually the Article is only 48 Hours old. Before you post, get your facts Straight:)

[smeyer418]

anyone can sue on anything. Lets see if it survives a motion to dismiss. The fact that all then did it within a short period of time is NOT proof there was a conspiracy to raise prices, if that is all they have it WILL be dismissed on motion.

 

Airlines do "follow me" all the time. and it isn't price fixing. Given the unprecedented price of oil the fact the independent entities would come to the same conclusion is not surprising.

 

So we can wait and see. if they have more proof they may be right but not what I heard so far. although clearly I did agree that I thought the cruise lines were wrong on those who had already at least partially paid.

[newmexicoNita]

I certainly am not a lawyer, but as I understand this, it has to do with retroactive versus warning. NCL gave warning, any cruise booked after a certain date, RCCI said "any sailing after a certain date regardless as to when it was booked" and as Sid said, sueing is one thing, winning is quite another.

 

Nita

[NCL_Cruiser]

Actually the Article is only 48 Hours old. Before you post, get your facts Straight:)

 

[/url] 26 February, 2008Adjust font size: Cruise lines accused of price fixing

 

Several Miami-based cruise giants-including Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line—have been named in a complaint seeking class action status alleging the cruise companies colluded to fix unreasonably high fuel surcharges, according to The Miami Herald.

 

 

The dateline from the article was 2/26, so it's nearly three weeks old. Plus, that one line is the only mention of NCL...Hardly any of this is news anymore. :)

[Globaliser]

The suit alleges that the nearly identical spate of fuel hikes is proof of price fixing among cruise lines.

Market theory lesson #1: How do you tell the difference between price fixing in advance, and rapid competitive response after the event?