The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Southwest Airlines $200,000 for violating the Department’s full-fare advertising rules.
The feds also ordered the airline to cease and desist from further violations.
With the violation, Southwest Airlines also violated the cease and desist provision of a previous order, federal officials said. As a resuly, the carrier was required to pay an additional $100,000, which was suspended from an order issued in July 2013.
“DOT’s full-fare advertising rules were put into place to ensure that consumers are not deceived when they search for plane tickets,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. “Consumers have rights, and DOT will continue to take enforcement action against carriers and ticket agents when our price advertising rules are violated.”
In October 2013, Southwest ran a television advertisement on eight networks in the Atlanta area advertising $59 sale fares to New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago on certain dates. An investigation by DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office revealed that Southwest did not have any seats available for $59 between Atlanta and any of the three quoted cities on any of the applicable travel dates, officials said.