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Uber might owe you money for charging airport fees

The ridesharing firm has agreed to pay $1.8 million to California passengers.

If you've taken an Uber ride to a Californian airport and got hit with a surprise fee, you might be owed some cash. Uber has agreed to pay a settlemement in a class action lawsuit that accuses it of charging an "airport fee toll" years before it was legally required (last November), letting drivers pocket the extra funds. The move will dish out $1.8 million between as many as 355,000 affected passengers. That's not much in practice -- just over $5, if everyone is covered -- but it's welcome if you felt burned on that trip to LAX.

The settlement doesn't amount to an admission of guilt, and the case is still ongoing. Whatever happens, the lawsuit may serve as a deterrent against these sorts of arbitrary fees in the future. Hopefully, Uber and other ridesharing companies will be more likely to wait until officials actually ask for money before they start hiking your fares.

[Image credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images]