American Airlines Sues Orbitz, Alleging Antitrust Violations
American Airlines accused travel website Orbitz of monopoly tactics, in an antitrust lawsuit filed Monday.
Orbitz and another defendant, distributor systems owner Travelport, try to control the distribution of airline tickets, according to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas complaint, and have retaliated against American for objecting to the alleged plan.
In December, American pulled its flight listings from Orbitz, the Associated Press reports, trying to shift ticket sales to its own website. According to the lawsuit, American claims that most of its passenger revenue comes from tickets travel agents sell, with information coming from large distribution systems like Travelport. American is seeking treble damages from lost ticket sales and higher fees, and punitive damages.
Orbitz dismissed the claims as “baseless,” according to the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). Orbitz said in a statement yesterday that “it was the latest in a series of tactics to force Orbitz to adopt an airline ticket distribution model that limits consumer choice and inhibits competition.”
