Pilot Sues Delta For Allegedly Stealing the QrewLive App Idea

Delta has its share of problems. But this time around, a Delta pilot sued the airline for $1 billion saying that the airline copied his app. The Delta pilot pitched the QrewLive App to the airline but the idea was rejected. After a few years, Delta has its own app with similar functions as the app he developed.

Captain Craig Alexander used his own money worth $100,000 and developed the QrewLive app. The app will allow crew members to easily communicate in case there are disrupted flights.

Alexander allegedly raised the idea of the app to Delta CEO Ed Bastian in 2016. He approached Delta’s CEO when the airline had a computer problem that caused delayed flights. While presenting the app, Alexander said that the app presents a solution for the problems faced by the airline.

The airline had a $150 million loss due to this problem.  Seeing the potential of the app, Alexander had multiple meetings with executives. In addition to this, he was given verbal assurance that the airline is going to acquire his app.

QrewLive App Didn’t Fit Delta’s Needs?

Despite the verbal reassurance, Alexander’s complaint mentioned that Delta told him that the technology didn’t fit the airline’s needs. However, Delta then launched its own Flight Family Communications app in 2018. Alexander calls it a “carbon copy” of the app that he developed. He claims that Delta’s Flight Family Communications app copied the role-based text messaging component of the QrewLive app.

And how did Alexander come up with the asking price of $1 billion? According to him, “based solely upon operational cost savings to Delta (which) conservatively exceeds $1 billion”. The pilot has been working for Delta for 11 years and he is still working with the company.

Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant said that “While we take the allegations specified in Mr. Alexander’s complaint seriously, they are not an accurate or fair description of Delta’s development of its internal crew messaging platform”.