Lavine v. American Airlines

Howard County Circuit Court
13-C-09-077527

REPORTED

IN THE APPELLATE COURT

OF MARYLAND

No. 2917

September Term, 2009

DEBORAH LAVINE, et al.

v.

AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC.

Graeff,
Hotten*,
Kenney, James A., III,
(Senior Judge, Specially Assigned),

JJ.
Pursuant to the Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal
Materials Act (§§ 10-1601 et seq. of the State
Government Article) this document is authentic.
Opinion by Kenney, J.
2025.07.28
10:49:24 -04'00' Filed: July 28, 2025
Gregory Hilton, Clerk

*Justice Hotten initially served on the Panel in this appeal while a judge of this Court. This
appeal was stayed for several years pending bankruptcy proceedings filed by the appellee.
While this appeal was stayed, Justice Hotten was elevated to the Supreme Court of
Maryland, where she served until her retirement on April 21, 2024. On January 23, 2024,
Chief Justice Fader designated Justice Hotten to sit, by special assignment, as a judge with
the Appellate Court of Maryland, beginning April 21, 2024. Justice Hotten rejoins this
Panel under that January 23, 2024, authorization.
Appellants Deborah and Matt Lavine appeal the grant of summary judgment by the

Circuit Court for Howard County in favor of appellee, American Airlines, Inc.

(“American”). They present four questions 1 which we have consolidated and reordered as

follows:

(1) Did the circuit court grant summary judgment despite the existence of
genuine disputes of material fact?

(2) Was appellee entitled to judgment as a matter of law?

For the reasons that follow, we answer question 1 in the negative and question 2 in

the affirmative. We shall therefore affirm the judgment of the circuit court.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 2

On September 26, 2008, appellants purchased two round-trip airline tickets from

American’s website. Each ticket included two flights on the outbound leg: flights 1219 and

1
As presented in appellants’ brief, the questions are:

(1) Did the lower court apply the wrong standard in reviewing a motion for
summary judgment?
(2) Did the misrepresentations by American Airlines constitute actionable
elements?
(3) Did the allegations of loss and injury identify damages sufficient to defeat
a motion for summary judgment?
(4) Does Federal law preempt Maryland from affording relief to customers
of airlines?
2
We do not include alleged facts that were not included in the pleadings or affidavits
before the circuit court at the time summary judgment was granted, but were alleged
for the first time in either appellants’ brief or the amended complaint (which the circuit
court excluded). See Educ. Testing Serv. v. Hildebrant, 399 Md. 128, 140 (2007).
2
4941. Flight 1219 was from Reagan National Airport to Miami International Airport on

December 21, 2008, with an estimated arrival time of 7:55 p.m. Flight 4941 was from

Miami International Airport to Key West International Airport on December 21, 2008, with

a departure time of 8:35 p.m. Thus, there was to be a 40 minute window between flights if

flight 1219 arrived as scheduled and flight 4941 left as scheduled. Appellants had booked

a hotel room in Key West for the night of December 21, 2008.

After buying the tickets, appellants received an email, the subject line of which

reads: “E-Ticket Confirmation.” The headline is: “Itinerary & Receipt Confirmation.” A

line at the bottom states: “A summary of Terms and Conditions of travel is available by

selecting the Conditions of Carriage button below.” As shown in the email, this button is

conspicuous. The referenced Conditions of Carriage clearly state that the ticket and the

Conditions of Carriage “constitute the contract[.]” In the affidavit attached to his motion

in opposition to summary judgment, appellant Matt Lavine, in reference to the Conditions

of Carriage, stated that “I did not see or receive a document that looks like the” Conditions

of Carriage. 3

On December 21, 2008, after appellants arrived at Reagan National Airport for

flight 1219, they were informed that the flight was delayed. Concerned that this delay

would cause them to miss their connecting flight, appellants assert that they requested a

3
Appellee acknowledged at oral argument that a buyer is not explicitly presented
with the Conditions of Carriage at purchase, but, according to the affidavit of Dale Norgard
(“Norgard’s affidavit”), an employee of appellee, submitted in support of the motion for
summary judgment, “[t]he Conditions of Carriage may be viewed at any time prior and
subsequent to the ticket purchase on [appellee’s] website.”
3
refund or seats on another flight. “[Appellee] then represented that, despite the delay, [it]

would provide [appellants] with the connecting flight from Miami to Key West . . . Based

on [appellee’s] representation, [appellants] agreed to board the delayed flight.”

When flight 1219 arrived at Miami International Airport at 8:23 p.m., “[appellee]

instructed [appellants] that they had fifteen minutes to traverse the airport to arrive at the

departure point” for flight 4941. “[Appellants] ran through the airport. Construction was

ongoing, and [appellants] inhaled debris.” “Coughing,” appellants arrived at the gate at

8:30 p.m., but were denied entry to flight 4941 because they did not arrive thirty minutes

prior to the scheduled flight time. Appellants were also allegedly told that “the flight from

Miami had departed prior to [appellants’] arrival at the departure point at the Miami

Airport,” but, “[i]n fact, the flight from Miami to Key West did not move for an hour past

the time that [appellant] arrived.” 4

“[Appellee] provided [appellants] with no substitute flight” that night, and

“[appellants] purchased a hotel room in Miami. [They] were unable to use the hotel room

purchased in Key West.” Appellee secured and paid for another hotel room for appellants,

and provided them with a stipend for dinner and breakfast. On December 22, 2008,

appellants boarded flight 4833 from Miami and arrived in Key West later that day.

On May 11, 2009, appellants filed a five count complaint in the Circuit Court for

Howard County for: (1) Negligent Misrepresentation–Booking, (2) Intentional

Misrepresentation–Booking, (3) Negligent Misrepresentation–Airport Departure, (4)

4
Appellants apparently arrived five minutes before the scheduled flight time.
4
Intentional Misrepresentation – Airport Departure, and (5) Intentional Misrepresentation–

Miami International Airport Departure. Counts (1) and (2) were based on appellee’s alleged

misrepresentation “that it could transport [appellants] from Washington, DC to Key West

within the time identified.” 5 Counts (3) and (4) were based on appellee’s alleged

misrepresentation “that its delay would not prevent the [appellants] from connecting from

Miami to Key West.” Count (5) was based on appellee’s alleged misrepresentation “that

the flight from Miami had departed prior to [appellants’] arrival at the departure point at

the Miami Airport.” The complaint sought $10,000 in compensatory damages and $10,000

in punitive damages for each plaintiff.

On September 21, 2009, appellee filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, stating

that “[t]here is no dispute of material fact and [appellee] is entitled to judgment as a matter

of law.” The court, at a hearing on November 24, 2009, granted the motion from the bench.

On December 4, 2009, appellants filed, among other motions, a Motion for Leave

to Amend, which, under Maryland Rule 2-534, 6 stayed the time for filing a notice of appeal

5
Appellants have presented these as tort claims. At the hearing on the motion for
summary judgment, appellants stated that “what was plead was either a tort arising out of
a contract or a contract arising out of a tort.”
6
“In an action decided by the court, on motion of any party filed within ten days
after entry of judgment, the court may open the judgment to receive additional evidence,
may amend its findings or its statement of reasons for the decision, may set forth
additional findings or reasons, may enter new findings or new reasons, may amend the
judgment, or may enter a new judgment.” Rule 2-534.
5
until the court ruled on the motions. The circuit court denied the motions on January 26,

2010, and on February 22, 2010, appellants noted the instant appeal. 7

DISCUSSION

Standard of Review

We review “a [circuit] court’s grant of a motion for summary judgment de novo.”

Remsburg v. Montgomery, 376 Md. 568, 579 (2003). In doing so, we consider “the same

material from the record and decid[e] the same legal issues as the circuit court.” Lopata v.

Miller, 122 Md. App. 76, 83 (1998). “The review of the grant of summary judgment . . .

involves the determination of whether a dispute of material fact indeed exists, and whether

the [circuit] court was legally correct.” Lombardi v. Montgomery County, 108 Md. App.

695, 710 (1996) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).

Under Maryland Rule 2-501(f), a circuit court “shall enter judgment in favor of or

against the moving party if the motion and response show that there is no genuine dispute

as to any material fact and that the party in whose favor judgment is entered is entitled to

judgment as a matter of law.” (Emphasis added). “[W]e construe the facts properly before

the court, and any reasonable inferences that may be drawn from them, in the light most

favorable to the non-moving party.” Remsburg, 376 Md. at 579-80. To defeat a motion for

summary judgment, “the party opposing the motion must produce some evidence

demonstrating that the parties genuinely dispute a material fact.” Wankel v. A&B

According to appellee’s brief, appellants “do not appeal the Court’s January 26,
7

2010 Orders denying [appellants’] Motion for Leave to Amend and Maryland Rules 2-
534 and 2- 535 Motions.”
6
Contractors, Inc., 127 Md. App. 128, 156 (1999) (emphasis added). The “[m]ere existence

of some alleged factual dispute between the partes will not defeat an otherwise properly

supported motion for summary judgment . . . .” Pittman v. Atlantic Realty Co., 127 Md.

App. 255, 270 (1999). The party opposing the motion cannot simply make a “bald

statement that material facts [are] in dispute.” Tri-State Properties, Inc. v. Middleman, 238

Md. 41, 47 (1965). It must instead present facts that are detailed and admissible in evidence.

Beatty v. Trailmaster Prods., Inc., 330 Md. 726, 737-38 (1993). “The moving party is not

entitled to judgment as a matter of law when reasonable inferences deducible from the facts

are sufficient to permit the trier of fact to arrive at more than one [legal] conclusion.”

Tucker v. Univ. Specialty Hosp., 166 Md. App. 50, 63-64 (2005).

In granting summary judgment in this case, the circuit court reasoned that (1) the

Conditions of Carriage precluded appellee’s liability for delays and/or missed connections,

(2) appellants “have not provided any specific facts or shown that they suffered any damage

as a natural and proximate consequence of [appellee’s] actions,” and (3) the Airline

Deregulation Act, 49 U.S.C. § 40101 et seq. (the “ADA”), preempts the enforcement of

Maryland tort law in this context. Because, ordinarily, we affirm a grant of summary

judgment only on the grounds stated by the circuit court, we will address each stated reason

in turn.

Conditions of Carriage – Dispute of Material Fact

In regard to the Conditions of Carriage, appellants contend that the circuit court

granted summary judgment despite the existence of genuine disputes of material fact. More

7
specifically, they submit that they neither saw nor agreed to the Conditions of Carriage, a

document the significance of which is readily apparent. By their assertion, appellants are

essentially arguing that the Conditions of Carriage are not part of the contract of carriage.

Section 41707 of the ADA provides that, “[t]o the extent the Secretary of

Transportation prescribes by regulation, an air carrier may incorporate by reference in a

ticket or written instrument any term of the contract for providing interstate air

transportation.” By regulation, “[a] ticket or other written instrument that embodies the

contract of carriage may incorporate contract terms by reference (i.e., without stating their

full text), and if it does so shall contain or be accompanied by notice to the passenger . . .

.” 14 CFR 253.4(a). The ticket or written instrument must include a “conspicuous notice”

that “[a]ny terms incorporated by reference are part of the contract . . . .” Id at 253.5(a).

The incorporated terms may include information regarding the “[r]ights of the carrier and

limitations concerning delay or failure to perform service, including schedule changes,

substitution of alternate air carrier or aircraft, and rerouting.” Id. at 253.5(b)(5).

In our view, the ADA and regulations authorized by it permit appellee to incorporate

by reference the Conditions of Carriage to the “E-Ticket Confirmation” email 8 and–more

importantly–they are part of the contract between appellants and American. Therefore,

8
At oral argument, appellants asserted that “there is no ticket,” while appellee
responded that “this [email] is their ticket for travel.” We are persuaded that the email or
“E- Ticket” functions as the “ticket or other written instrument” for the purposes of 14
CFR 253.
8
appellants’ assertion that they did not see or receive the Conditions of Carriage before or

after the purchase of the ticket does not create a genuine dispute of material fact.

Appellants also contend that even if the Conditions of Carriage are part of the

contract, an agent of American orally modified these conditions at the airport, thereby

creating a genuine dispute regarding the applicability of the Conditions of Carriage.

Appellants ignore the non-modification clause in the Conditions of Carriage that states:

“[n]o agent, employee or representative of American has authority to alter, modify or waive

any provision of the Conditions of Carriage unless authorized in writing by a corporate

officer of American.” Even assuming that an agent’s statement could be considered an oral

modification of the Conditions of Carriage, such a modification would be void under the

non-modification clause in the absence of an appropriate authorization. No such

authorization is alleged.

Finally, appellants contend that the circuit court entered summary judgment despite

a dispute of fact as to which party paid for the Miami hotel room. The Conditions of

Carriage state that if a “delay or cancellation was caused by events within our control and

we do not get you to your final destination on the expected arrival day, we will provide

reasonable overnight accommodations, subject to availability.” “The party opposing a

motion for summary judgment must produce admissible evidence to show a genuine

dispute of material fact,” and offer more than “‘conclusory statements, conjecture, or

speculation” to defeat summary judgment. Carter v. Aramark Sports & Entm’t Servs., 153

Md. App. 210, 225 (2003) (citations omitted). Norgard’s affidavit states that appellee

9
“secured and paid for a hotel room for [appellants] and provided them with a stipend for

dinner and breakfast.” Appellants allege in the complaint that they paid for their own hotel

room in Miami, but, during the summary judgment proceeding, they did not contest that

appellee had arranged and paid for a hotel room for them. 9 Thus, we do not believe that

appellants generated a genuine dispute of material fact that appellee did not pay for a hotel

room for them in Miami.

Negligent and Intentional Misrepresentation – Judgment as a Matter of Law

The elements of negligent misrepresentation are:

(1) the defendant, owing a duty of care to the plaintiff, negligently asserts a
false statement;

(2) the defendant intends that his statement will be acted upon by the
plaintiff;

(3) the defendant has knowledge that the plaintiff will probably rely on the
statement, which, if erroneous, will cause loss or injury;

(4) the plaintiff, justifiably, takes action in reliance on the statement; and

(5) the plaintiff suffers damage proximately caused by the defendant’s
negligence.

Griesi v. Atlantic Gen. Hosp. Corp., 360 Md. 1, 11 (2000) (quoting Weisman v. Connors,

312 Md. 428, 444 (1988)). These elements are satisfied when “one relies on statements of

another, negligently volunteering an erroneous opinion, intending that it be acted upon, and

knowing that loss or injury are likely to follow if it is acted upon.” Walpert, Smullian &

9
The amended complaint, which was excluded by the circuit court, is included in
the record extract. It states that appellants “purchased a hotel room in Miami, because
[appellee] offered unsatisfactory accommodations.”
10
Blumenthal, P.A. v. Katz, 361 Md. 645, 656 (2000) (quoting Virginia Dare Stores, Inc. v.

Schuman, 175 Md. 287, 292 (1938)).

The elements of intentional misrepresentation are:

(1) that a representation made by a party was false . . .

(2) that either its falsity was known to that party or the misrepresentation
was made with such reckless indifference to truth to impute knowledge to
him . . .

(3) that the misrepresentation was made for the purpose of defrauding some
other person . . .

(4) that that person not only relied upon the misrepresentation but had the
right to rely upon it with full belief of its truth, and that he would not have
done the thing from which damage resulted if it had not been made; and . .
.

(5) that that person suffered damage directly resulting from the
misrepresentation.

B.N. v. K.K., 312 Md. 135, 149 (1988) (quoting Suburban Mgmt. v. Johnson, 236 Md. 455,

460 (1964)). “One who by a fraudulent misrepresentation or nondisclosure of a fact that it

is his duty to disclose causes physical harm to the person of another who justifiably relies

upon the misrepresentation, is subject to liability to the other” for intentional

misrepresentation. Id. at 150 (quoting RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 557A

(1977)).

In their brief, appellants assert that the circuit court “ignored the misrepresentations

by [appellees] . . . that induced the[m] to board the flight from Reagan National Airport to

Miami;” “ignore[d] the[ir] claims for damages;” and “misunderstood the concept of

11
damages,” indicating that appellants “need only establish that they suffered damages as a

result of the statements of [appellee].”

Appellants advance their argument notwithstanding the limitation of liability clause

in the Conditions of Carriage (“American is not responsible for or liable for failure to make

connections, or to operate any flight according to schedule, or for a change to the schedule

of any flight. Under no circumstances shall American be liable for any special, incidental

or consequential damages arising from the foregoing.”). 10 In the context of this case, this

language would justify the circuit court’s grant of summary judgment. 11

10
We have routinely upheld the validity of limitation of liability clauses. See, e.g.,
Winterstein v. Wilcom, 16 Md. App. 130, 135 (1972) (“In the absence of legislation to the
contrary, the law, by the great weight of authority, is that there is ordinarily no public policy
which prevents the parties from contracting as they see fit, as to whether the plaintiff will
undertake the responsibility of looking out for himself. It is quite possible for the parties
expressly to agree in advance that the defendant is under no obligation of care for the
benefit of the plaintiff, and shall not be liable for the consequences of conduct which
would otherwise be negligent. In other words, the parties may agree that there shall be
no obligation to take precautions and hence no liability for negligence.”) (internal
quotation marks omitted). Presumably, appellants are relying on their argument, which we
have rejected, that they were not provided the Conditions of Carriage and that the
Conditions of Carriage are not part of the contract.
11
The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina denied liability in a
similar case, Wittenberg v. Eastern Air Lines, Inc., 126 F. Supp. 459 (D.S.C. 1954). There,
the airline promised plaintiff that it would hold his connecting flight, thus inducing him
to board the first flight. When plaintiff arrived at the gate, his connecting flight had
departed. The court concluded that “the provisions of the . . . Passenger Rules Tariff”–
similar to the Conditions of Carriage–“are a complete bar to the prosecution of
plaintiff’s action” for tort damages. Id. at 461. Like the Conditions of Carriage, the Tariff
excluded the airline from all liability for missed connections and flight times.
12
Appellants offer little explanation of the exact nature of the alleged mistakes the

court made in reaching its conclusion. Nevertheless, we will address appellants’ claims of

physical and economic injuries as we understand their arguments.

Reliance

Appellants assert that American contractually promised “that it could transport

[appellants] from Washington, DC to Key West within the time identified,” and

represented that, “despite the delay, [it] would provide [appellants] with the connecting

flight from Miami to Key West.” Appellants also allege that American falsely represented

that the Key West flight had departed prior to appellants’ arrival at the gate for that flight.

But even assuming that such representations were made, appellants could not justifiably

rely on such statements or the times indicated on their tickets, in light of the provision in

the Conditions of Carriage stating that “times shown in timetables or elsewhere are not

guaranteed and form no part of this contract,” coupled with the limitation of liability and

non-modification clauses, see supra. “[I]n determining whether the reliance was

reasonable, the background and experience of the party that relied upon the representation

is relevant.” Goldstein v. Miles, 159 Md. App. 403, 437 (2004). In this case, Mr. Lavine is

an experienced attorney licensed to practice law in Maryland, and thus his reliance was not

reasonable.

Proximate Cause

As a general rule, “one may recover only those damages that are affirmatively

proved with reasonable certainty to have resulted as the natural, proximate and direct effect

13
of the injury.” Empire Realty Co. v. Fleisher, 269 Md. 278, 284 (1973) (internal citations

omitted). In the case of a misrepresentation, “the plaintiff must show not only that he would

not have performed the act from which the injury resulted but for the misrepresentation,

but also that the fact misrepresented was the proximate cause of the injury.” Lustine

Chevrolet v. Cadeaux, 19 Md. App. 30, 35 (1973). To establish the causal link,

the plaintiff must show that there is a reasonable probability or reasonable
certainty that the act complained of caused the injury suffered. Mere
possibility is not enough. Reasonable probability can be shown by either
direct evidence or inferences drawn from surrounding circumstances.

Id. at 36.

In the complaint, appellants argue both physical injury and economic harm resulting

from appellee’s alleged misrepresentations regarding their ability to board flight 4941: (1)

breathing difficulties resulting from inhaling construction debris while running through

Miami International Airport, and (2) resulting economic damages associated with that

physical injury in addition to the cost for the hotel room in Miami and the loss of use of

the hotel room in Key West. 12

As to the physical injury and the related damage claim, we are not persuaded that

appellants demonstrated a sufficient causal connection. We agree with appellee that

appellants’ “claim for personal injuries related to the inhalation of construction fragments

is too attenuated to be actionable. . . . It is not foreseeable that [appellants] would inhale

12
In their complaint, appellants claimed damages of “physical injury, lost time from
work, lost expenses and mental anguish.” In their brief and at oral argument, appellants
focused on the breathing problems occasioned by the construction debris and the Miami
and Key West hotel rooms. Our analysis relates to any of the claimed damages.
14
construction debris and sustain personal injury as a result of an airline scheduling delay.” 13

As to the cost of the Miami hotel room, it may have been foreseeable that appellants,

relying on statements of appellee’s agents that allegedly induced appellants to board flight

1219, would need lodging in Miami on the night of December 21 if they missed the

connecting flight. But as we have previously explained, appellants did not generate a

genuine dispute of fact that appellee did not secure lodging for appellants in Miami. And

while it may have been foreseeable that appellants would lose the opportunity to use their

Key West hotel room, this claim is expressly precluded by the Conditions of Carriage.

13
In their complaint, appellants also relate their physical injuries to the alleged
statement by appellee’s agent in Miami that they had fifteen minutes to reach the gate for
the connecting flight. At oral argument, appellants claimed that they were “directed to
run through the airport to the connecting flight, directed through” the construction
debris. (Emphasis added). “These are [appellee’s] representatives telling you . . . to go and
run.” (Emphasis added). Appellants, however, do not include these alleged statements as a
misrepresentation in any of the counts in the complaint. Nor did appellants allege in their
complaint a pure negligence claim based on these alleged statements by appellee’s agent.
See Tobin v. AMR Corporation, 637 F. Supp. 2d 406, 410 (N.D. Tex 2009) (Mrs. Tobin
brought a negligence claim where an agent of American Eagle Airlines told the Tobins
“that the connecting flight would be leaving in ten or fifteen minutes, and that ‘in the time
that you are standing here talking to me about this, you could be there.’” After running to
the gate while carrying luggage and pushing Mrs. Tobin in a wheelchair, Mr. Tobin
suffered a heart attack on the plane. The trial court rejected American Eagle’s motion for
summary judgment.) (emphasis added). “Although the tort of negligent misrepresentation
is generally rooted in negligence, in that, like negligence, it requires a duty, breach of
duty, injury and causation, the major difference is that negligent misrepresentation
focuses on affirmative statements made by the defendant that were intended to, and
indeed, had the effect of, inducing the plaintiff to carry out some action in reliance on
the false statements.” Lloyd v. GMC, 397 Md. 108, 137 n.10 (2007); see also Cross Keys,
Inc. v. United States Gypsum Co., 315 Md. 741 (1989). Finally, even if appellants had
brought a pure negligence claim, the injuries complained of were not the result of simply
running, but rather from running through the construction debris, which, in our view,
would be an intervening cause.
15
Nor are we persuaded that the alleged false statement that the airplane had already

departed Miami International Airport was the proximate cause of the economic harm. It

was the denial of boarding that caused the claimed harm–not when the airplane actually

departed after boarding was denied.

Preemption

“The rules governing preemption are well settled. Where Congress has expressly

stated its intent to preempt state law, federal law prevails.” Wells v. Chevy Chase Bank,

F.S.B., 377 Md. 197, 209 (2003). The ADA states that,

[e]xcept as provided in this subsection, a State, political subdivision of a
State, or political authority of at least 2 States may not enact or enforce a law,
regulation, or other provision having the force and effect of law related to a
price, route, or service of an air carrier that may provide air transportation
under this subpart.

49 U.S.C. § 41713(b)(1). Congress enacted § 41713(b)(1) “to ensure that the States would

not undo federal deregulation with regulation of their own.” Morales v. Trans World

Airlines, Inc., 504 U.S. 374, 378 (1992).

The United States Supreme Court first addressed the scope of federal preemption

under the ADA in Morales. Looking to the phrase “relating to,” 14 the Court concluded that

14
“Before recodification in 1994, the preemption clause read, in relevant part:
‘No State or political subdivision thereof and no interstate agency or other political
agency of two or more States shall enact or enforce any law, rule, regulation, standard, or
other provision having the force and effect of law relating to rates, routes, or services
of any air carrier . . . .’” Smith v. Comair, Inc., 134 F.3d 254, 257 (4th Cir. 1998) (quoting
49 U.S.C. App. § 1305(a)(1) (Supp. 1994)) (first emphasis from Smith, second emphasis
ours). The two relevant differences between the old and current versions of the ADA
are the changes from “relating to” to “related to,” and “services” to “service.” “Under
(continued…)
16
the statute “express[ed] a broad pre-emptive purpose.” Id. at 383. Claims “having a

connection with, or reference to, airline ‘rates, routes or services’ are [thus] pre-empted

under” the statute, id. at 384 (emphasis added), even if the effect is only indirect. Id. at 386.

But state actions that affect airline prices, routes, or service “in too tenuous, remote, or

peripheral a manner” are not preempted. Id. at 390.

In American Airlines, Inc. v. Wolens, 513 U.S. 219 (1995), plaintiffs sued a

defendant airline in an Illinois court for breach of contract and alleged violations of the

Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act based on allegations that

defendant had modified retroactively its frequent flyer program, adversely affecting the

value of points already earned by imposing limitations on seats available and restrictions

on dates on which the points could be used. In permitting the contract action to proceed,

the Court carved out an exception to ADA preemption for contract claims and other “self-

imposed undertakings,” even when the claim relates to prices, routes, or service, id. at 228,

if the claims can be decided within the four corners of a contract “with no enlargement or

enhancement based on state laws or policies external to the agreement.” Id. at 233. In dicta,

the Supreme Court stated, “[p]laintiffs’ claims relate . . . to ‘services,’ i.e., access to flights.

. . .” Id. at 226 (emphasis added).

established canons of statutory construction, it will not be inferred that Congress, in
revising and consolidating the laws, intended to change their effect unless such intention
is clearly expressed.” Finley v. United States, 490 U.S. 545, 554 (1989) (citation and
internal quotation marks omitted). We have not found or been directed to any change
in effect intended by the revised language.
17
While the Supreme Court has not directly addressed the word “service” in the

context of the ADA, Charas v. Trans World Airlines, Inc., 160 F.3d 1259, 1265 (9th Cir.

1998) (en banc), it has done so in a related setting. In Rowe v. N.H. Motor Transp. Ass’n,

552 U.S. 364 (2008), the Court, heavily relying upon its ADA jurisprudence, settled on a

broad interpretation of “service” as used in the Motor Carrier Act (the “MCA”). Modeled

after the ADA, the MCA forbids States to “enact or enforce a law . . . related to a price,

route, or service of any motor carrier . . . .” 49 U.S.C. § 14501. Rowe involved a Maine law

requiring tobacco retailers to only use a delivery service that provided recipient verification

service. The Court found this law to be preempted by the MCA. The Court reasoned that

the law, albeit aimed at retailers, “related to” motor carrier services; and though less than

a direct connection to a carrier’s service, “the effect of the regulation is that carriers will

have to offer tobacco delivery services that differ significantly from those that, in the

absence of the regulation, the market might dictate.” Rowe, 522 U.S. at 372.

Against the jurisprudential backdrop of Comair, Wolens, and Rowe, federal courts

of appeal have divided on the scope of the word “service.” Some, such as the United States

Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, have adopted an expansive and pro-preemption

reading of “service.” Others, like the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 15

15
According to the Ninth Circuit,

[a]irlines’ “rates” and “routes” generally refer to the point-to-point
transport of passengers. “Rates” indicates price; “routes” refers to courses of
travel. It therefore follows that “service,” when juxtaposed to “rates”
and “routes,” refers to such things as the frequency and scheduling of
(continued…)
18
have read the word more narrowly, and are more receptive to state claims. A majority of

the federal circuit courts that have construed “service” have interpreted the word broadly.

See Air Transp. Ass’n of Am. v. Cuomo, 520 F.3d 218, 223 (2d Cir. 2008) (provision of

food, water, electricity, and restrooms to passengers during lengthy ground delays relates

to service); Hodges v. Delta Airlines, Inc., 44 F.3d 334, 336 (5th Cir. 1995) (en banc)

(“Elements of the air carrier service bargain include items such as ticketing, boarding

procedures, provision of food and drink, and baggage handling, in addition to the

transportation itself.” But tort actions for personal physical injuries or property damage

caused by the operation and maintenance of aircraft are not preempted.); Travel All Over

the World, Inc. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 73 F.3d 1423, 1433 (7th Cir. 1996) (approving

the Hodges elements, but excluding slander and defamation claims); Branche v. Airtran

Airways, Inc., 342 F.3d 1248, 1257 (11th Cir. 2003) (approving the Hodges elements, but

excluding Florida’s prohibition against retaliatory discharges); Smith v. Comair, Inc., 134

F.3d 254, 259 (4th Cir. 1998) (boarding procedures relate to service); Chukwu v. Bd. of

Dirs. British Airways, 889 F. Supp. 12, 13 (D. Mass. 1995) aff’d mem. sub nom. Azubuko

transportation, and to the selection of markets to or from which
transportation is provided (as in, “This airline provides service from Tucson
to New York twice a day.”) To interpret “service” more broadly is to ignore
the context of its use; and, it effectively would result in the preemption of
virtually everything an airline does. It seems clear to us that that is not
what Congress intended.

Charas, 160 F.3d at 1265-66.

19
v. Bd. of Dirs. British Airways, 101 F.3d 106 (1st Cir. 1996) (ticketing, boarding, and in-

flight service relate to service).

In Smith, the court explained, “[t]o determine whether a claim has a connection with,

or reference to an airline’s prices, routes, or services, we must look at the facts underlying

the specific claim,” and in doing so, concluded that “[u]ndoubtedly, boarding procedures

are a service rendered by an airline.” 134 F.3d at 259 (emphasis added). However, “[s]uits

stemming from outrageous conduct on the part of an airline toward a passenger will not be

preempted under the ADA if the conduct too tenuously relates or is unnecessary to an

airline’s services.” Id. 16

“The decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States construing the federal

constitution and acts of Congress pursuant thereto are conclusive.” French v. Hines, 182

Md. App. 201, 262 n.21 (2008) (quoting Gayety Books, Inc. v. City of Baltimore, 279 Md.

206, 212-13 (1977)). Even “[d]icta of the United States Supreme Court should be very

persuasive.” Rollins v. State, 392 Md. 455, 475 (2006) (quoting Fouts v. Maryland Cas.

Co., 30 F.2d 357, 359 (4th Cir. 1929)). Decisions of federal courts of appeal, however, do

not constitute binding authority. Pope v. State, 284 Md. 309, 320 (1979). This applies as

equally to the Fourth Circuit, which includes Maryland, as it does to the Ninth Circuit. But

16
Appellants posit that, under appellee’s understanding of the Fourth Circuit
position, “American Airlines employees could, while someone[ is] standing in line, take a
baseball bat and hit him over the head and be told, ‘that’s part of Federally regulated
practice of boarding procedures.’” Such “outrageous conduct” would not, in our view,
be preempted.
20
“[t]o be sure, we may consider persuasive the opinions of federal courts . . . .” French, 182

Md. App. at 262 n.21.

Consideration of Supreme Court precedent, coupled with the views of the lower

federal courts, persuades us that the claims at issue in this case are not “too tenuously”

related to appellee’s “service,” and therefore are preempted by the ADA. We explain.

We believe that the Supreme Court’s interpretation of “service” in the MCA is

indicative of its views of the word as used in the ADA. C.f. Bragdon v. Abbott, 524 U.S.

624, 645 (1998) (“When . . . judicial interpretations have settled the meaning of an existing

statutory provision, repetition of the same language in a new statute indicates, as a general

matter, the intent to incorporate its administrative and judicial interpretations as well.”).

Rowe “necessarily defined ‘service’ to extend beyond prices, schedules, origins, and

destinations.” Air Transp. Ass’n of Am. v. Cuomo, 520 F.3d 218, 223 (2d Cir. 2008). This

holding, plus the Court’s previous correlation of “service” to “access to flights” and its

observation that the statute “express[es] a broad pre-emptive purpose,” persuade us that

boarding procedures are a “service,” and, it follows that allowing state tort claims that are

closely related to such a service to proceed “would result in significant de facto regulation

of the airlines’ boarding practices.” Hodges v. Delta Airlines, 44 F.3d 334, 339 (5th Cir.

1995) (citing O’Carroll v. American Airlines, 863 F.2d 11 (5th Cir. 1989)) (refusing to

entertain a state law claim based on a wrongful eviction from a flight).

Here, appellants’ economic claims have their genesis in a delayed flight and

ultimately relate to established boarding procedures as set out in the Conditions of

21
Carriage. In their brief, appellants focus on the alleged misrepresentation that “despite the

delay, [appellee] would arrange for [appellants] to board their connecting flight from

Miami to Key West” and a second agent’s statement that they had fifteen minutes to reach

the gate for the Key West flight. (Emphasis added). But, having reached the gate within

that timeframe, appellants were denied boarding because they arrived at the gate only five

minutes before the scheduled departure. That denial was consistent with appellee’s

boarding procedures and a provision of the Conditions of Carriage stating that a passenger

“must be present at the departure gate and ready to board at least 15 minutes prior to

scheduled departure time to retain your reservation and a seat.”

Preemption, as it relates to the physical injury claim, invites further analysis because

the injuries were not incurred while actually boarding the connecting flight and were not

the direct result of appellee’s activities within the terminal. In Tobin v. AMR Corp., 637 F.

Supp. 2d 406 (N.D. Tex 2009), cited by both appellants and appellees in their briefs and at

oral argument and mentioned earlier in the opinion, the airline unsuccessfully contended

that:

assistance to the connecting gates is a “service” within the meaning of the
Deregulation Act. Defendants characterize transfer assistance as part of the
“bargained-for or anticipated labor” arising out of the contractual
relationship between passengers and the airline. The Court will not now so
hold. When Mr. Tobin spoke to the American Eagle gate agents, he and his
wife had already deplaned, and were moving from one flight to the next.
They were not traveling on or boarding an airplane, nor enjoying any of the
airlines’ services. Thus, the Court will not now hold that such claims are
preempted by the Deregulation Act.

Id. at 421.

22
Although “moving from one flight to the next” may not be strictly a part of the

boarding procedures, 17 the need to do so hurriedly usually relates, as it did here, to the

timeliness of the earlier flight. In the absence of some “outrageous conduct” by the airline,

we are not certain that rushing to catch a connecting flight is “too tenuously” related to an

airline’s service to be denied preemption, but we need not decide that issue in this case.

Even if it were, the resulting claims are barred by the Conditions of Carriage and the

intervening construction within the airport.

CONCLUSION

There being no genuine disputes of material fact, appellee was entitled to summary

judgment as a matter of law.

JUDGMENTS OF THE CIRCUIT
COURT FOR HOWARD COUNTY
AFFIRMED; COSTS TO BE PAID
BY APPELLANTS.

17
At oral argument, the Court asked appellee: if an airline agent “told me to run to
the plane . . . [is] that running to the plane . . . part of the boarding procedure?”
Appellee’s counsel responded, “no it’s not.”
23