United Airlines has filed a lawsuit against Kiwi.com for trademark infringement in Illinois Northern District Court.
United accused Kiwi.com of "unauthorized marketing and selling of United flights, using fake email addresses and payment information to deceive United's systems and charging excessive fees for services that United provides cheaper or free."
When asked about the lawsuit, a Kiwi.com spokesperson told PhocusWire the company was caught off guard.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
“We are shocked and surprised by this claim and these allegations and look forward to resolving this matter quickly,” the spokesperson said. “We ensure full transparency for our customers by clearly advertising airline prices that include our service fee, with a detailed price breakdown, and it is just as important that our customers are aware of the identity of the respective airline while making their bookings with Kiwi.com.”
PhocusWire has also reached out to United Airlines.
This isn’t the first time Kiwi.com has been slapped with a lawsuit.
The company settled a legal battle with American Airlines last year, after the airline sued Kiwi.com for allegedly using deceptive practices to sell American Airlines’ tickets without permission.
In 2021, a judge ordered Kiwi.com to stop selling Southwest Airlines flights. The airline alleged that Kiwi "breached [Southwest's] Terms by scraping Southwest flight data and fare from Southwest's website, presenting Southwest flight data on kiwi.com, and selling Southwest flights without authorization."