Travelport said it was disappointed by the ruling delivered today by an Illinois court, that denied the company’s request for a preliminary injunction against American Airlines and its efforts to terminate Orbitz’s ticketing authority. Meanwhile, Sabre also said it stood against the airline's new system.
“We oppose American’s efforts to impose a costly and unproven system on travel agents and travelers,” said Chris Kroeger, senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network. “We strongly agree with the many industry and consumer groups who believe American’s actions will make it much harder and more costly for agents and consumers to easily comparison shop among airlines, which will result in increased prices for consumers."
Although the motion for a preliminary injunction was denied, Travelport said the case will continue on its merits until the request for a declaratory judgment is reached.
Travelport said it strongly supports the consumers’ right to maximum transparency and the ability to shop, compare, and book travel services wherever they choose. AA's plans to change the distribution model do not fall in line with Travelport's stance on the relationships between airline customers, travel agencies and consumers.
Visit www.travelport.com and www.sabre.com.
