Rabbi Loses Court Case Over Frequent Flier Miles
MARK SHERMAN
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled Wednesday against a Minnesota rabbi whose frequent complaints about an airline got him tossed out of its frequent flier program.
The court dismissed a lawsuit from Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg over Northwest Airlines' decision to strip him of his top-level frequent flier status and then end his membership.
Northwest, since absorbed by Delta Air Lines Inc., said it cut off Ginsberg because he complained too much. The rabbi said Northwest did not act in good faith, and was trying to cut costs because of its merger with Delta.
The court said in an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito that the federal deregulation of the airline industry in 1978 prohibits most lawsuits like the one filed by Ginsberg.
Alito also said the court ruling does not leave airline customers without recourse. The Transportation Department has authority to punish unfair and deceptive practices in air transport and can investigate complaints about frequent flier programs. Customers also have the option of enrolling in a rival airline's program, he said.
