Customers had paid $4 ‘airport fee toll’ on top of regular fare

On the same day Uber agreed to pay $100 million to drivers to settle a lawsuit over whether the drivers were properly treated as contract employees, Judge Maria-Elena James of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California approved another settlement of a class-action lawsuit alleging the ride-share giant had mischaracterized a fee charged some customers for trips to or from certain airports in California.

The $4 fee was listed as an “airport fee toll,” which implied a fee charged by the airports. In actuality, Uber pocketed the money.

Uber denied misrepresenting the nature of the fee, but agreed to return 100 percent of the fee to the 355,000 customers who had been charged.

Because of the technology used by Uber, the company will be able to distribute all of the refunds without having to find or notify members of the class. Uber did not object to the settlement. In addition, Uber agreed to pay all administrative costs and legal fees.

Uber has been enjoined from charging any further airport fees to riders in the future unless it pays them to the airport.

The lawsuit was filed by Vamsi Tadepalli, who was represented by John Roddy and Elizabeth Ryan of Bailey Glasser’s Boston office and Mike McKay of Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky Wotkyns.