Travelport is taking legal action against American Airlines in the US after the airline decided to prevent Travelport’s sister company, Orbtiz, from selling its flights.
Travelport confirmed it was taking a number of actions to defend travel agents and consumers commensurate with AA’s anti-consumer and anti-competitive actions.
“Travelport strongly supports the consumers’ right to maximum transparency and the ability to shop, compare, and book travel services wherever they choose,” it said in a statement.
“Travelport believes that AA’s action to coerce a more restrictive model under threat would violate AA’s contractual obligations with Travelport.
“AA’s plans and the resulting inefficiencies and associated costs would be detrimental to airline customers, travel agencies and consumers.
“Travelport’s dispute is solely with AA. Travelport hopes to resolve this dispute to the benefit of consumers and travel agents.”
According to reports in the US, a complaint was filed in chancery court in Chicago, claiming that Travelport, whose affiliate owns 48% of Orbitz’s stock, would suffer substantial harm if American stops providing fare data to Orbitz.
By David Wilkening, TravelMole US
