Alaska Airlines Flight Pass Lawsuit: Consumers Lose Benefits, Pay Same Price

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit claims Alaska Airlines breached its contract with Flight Pass subscribers by making sweeping changes that cut their benefits in half while still charging the full annual price.

Consumers Affected: U.S. residents who subscribed to the Flight Pass program and lost benefits after Alaska Airlines’ September 2024 changes.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Alaska Airlines breaches its own contract, misleading consumers, and violating state consumer protection laws after making sweeping changes to its Flight Pass program in September 2024, a California traveler is alleging in a new class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims Alaska Airlines slashed the number of guaranteed flights for subscribers, cutting their benefits in half while still charging the full annual price. It further links the timing of the change to the company’s $1.9 billion airline acquisition, suggesting the move was designed to enrich the company at customers’ expense.

Flight Pass Subscribers Left Paying Full Price for Fewer Flights

Luke Burton, who filed the lawsuit, signed up for Flight Pass in July 2024, agreeing to pay $189 per month for a year, which equals an annual commitment of more than $2,200, in exchange for two roundtrip flights per month. He, like other subscribers, relied on those promises to plan travel well in advance, the lawsuit states.

When Alaska Airlines unilaterally reduced benefits, Burton says he was left paying the same amount for far fewer flights, forcing him and others to either alter their travel plans or spend additional money to book flights that were no longer covered. The complaint alleges these changes left subscribers with a service far less valuable than advertised.

Consumers Say Flight Pass Was Riddled with Problems From the Start

Even before the September changes, the lawsuit paints Flight Pass as riddled with problems. Subscribers were told they’d enjoy “fixed-rate” travel, but in reality still had to pay taxes, fees, and “premium charges” on many flights, sometimes making non-subscriber fares cheaper.

Booking was also far from seamless, the lawsuit claims. Customers faced frequent website errors, were often forced to call customer service to finalize tickets, and discovered they couldn’t book multiple seats together for companions. Advance booking rules, restrictive cancellation policies, and hidden charges further eroded the program’s advertised flexibility.

Despite advertising “no blackout dates,” the airline routinely imposed premium fares on popular flights, effectively limiting when and where subscribers could fly at the promised rates, it adds.

Subscription Services Face Growing Legal Pushback

The Alaska Airlines case is part of a wider wave of litigation against subscription services accused of trapping customers in costly contracts. Recent lawsuits have targeted True Blue Car Wash for raising prices on locked-in members, DoorDash and Apple for activating unwanted DashPass subscriptions, and even digital giants like OnlyFans, NordVPN, and Fox Nation for automatic renewal practices. 

Regulators are also watching closely: the Federal Trade Commission has floated a new “Click-to-Cancel” rule aimed at curbing subscription “dark patterns.”

Burton is asking to represent all U.S. residents who subscribed to Flight Pass and lost benefits after Alaska Airlines’ September changes. The class action seeks monetary damages, restitution, and an injunction to stop the airline from continuing these practices.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Burton v. Alaska Airlines Inc. 
• Case Number: 3:25-cv-06156
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Peng Shao (R23 Law APC)
• Jing He (Morrow Ni LLP)

​​Are you a current or former Flight Pass subscriber? What are your thoughts on the changes Alaska Airlines made to the program? Share your experience below.