Hopper reaches settlement with the FTC

Today, Hopper reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to resolve claims following an extensive investigation of the Hopper app. Upon receiving millions of files dating from the present back to 2021, the FTC’s allegations were narrow: primarily outdated display practices implemented during the pandemic, limited to the Hopper app, and discontinued by Hopper in mid-2023, prior to the start of the FTC’s inquiry.

Importantly, the FTC raised no issues with the current Hopper app or website, other business divisions, current product offerings, or any other practices. 

We always strive for excellence and to deliver the most customer-centric booking experience, which is exactly why we identified and deprecated these display practices ourselves, prior to this matter even being filed. We disagree with the FTC's characterization of the Hopper app and how we operate our business, which doesn’t align with the real customer feedback. 

The signal we receive from customers is clear. Hopper is one of the highest-rated travel apps in the industry: 96% of all Hopper app reviews are 4-5 stars, more than a million customers have given us a perfect five-star score, and only 1.7% of reviews are 1-star reviews. That record has not wavered. The data reflects that our company is one that helps consumers - not harms them.

Since Hopper’s inception, the core mission has been to leverage data to bring transparency, flexibility, and savings to consumers. The app’s free Price Prediction feature has saved consumers over $100 million on trips. Additionally, the company’s proprietary flexibility products, such as Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Disruption Assistance, have saved travelers an additional $175 million by empowering them with greater optionality and enabling them to instantly rebook flights when facing day-of-travel disruptions. Again, the FTC found no issues with these products or services that Hopper is known for. Our B2B business remains separate, and is not implicated in the FTC’s allegations or impacted by the agreed settlement.

We decided to settle because the claims at issue are outdated and have no bearing on our business. Pursuing years of litigation over outdated, ticky-tacky issues would distract us from our current customers and partners — and that is not a distraction we are willing to accept. There are no other ongoing investigations with the FTC or any other agency.

The settlement amount does not reflect the merit of the claims. It reflects our decision to move forward.