Insignia v. News Trial Rescheduled for Feb. 7, 2011

Trial in the Insignia v. News America Marketing case has been rescheduled to begin February 7, 2011. A settlement conference is scheduled for January 25, 2011.

Motions are currently pending to exclude certain evidence (motions in limine) and to exclude certain expert opinions as unreliable (Daubert motions).

Related posts. Related articles (BNet; BNet; Minneapolis StarTribune)

Delta and AirTran Argue That Imposition of Bag Fees Caused Reduction in Fares

In an ongoing antitrust lawsuit over alleged collusion to charge first bag fees, Defendants Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways recently filed briefs in opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. (Delta, AirTran). Defendants argued that class certification was inappropriate because, they assert, the imposition of first bag fees led to a reduction in base fares, and that some proposed class members therefore may have benefited from the imposition of bag fees. Defendants filed four expert reports in support of their arguments. (Lee, Kasper, Schwartz, Gaier).

The proposed class is defined to include, with a few exceptions, anyone who has directly paid a first bag fee to Delta or AirTran. Summary judgment motions are scheduled to be filed in March 2011.

The case is In re Delta / AirTran Baggage Fee Antitrust Litigation, MDL 2089 (N.D. Ga.).