Apr 14th, 2011 at 3:00PM: The online travel agency battle continues ... and it's getting ugly. The latest move comes from American Airlines, which is suing Orbitz and Travelport for alleged anticompetitive behavior. So, what started in November as a battle over fare distribution has escalated into an antitrust war.
Through the end of the year, Orbitz and American Airlines fought it out, ultimately winding up in court, ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
american airlines posts
American Airlines and Orbitz tangled in antitrust battle
Apr 14th, 2011 at 3:00PM: The online travel agency battle continues ... and it's getting ugly. The latest move comes from American Airlines, which is suing Orbitz and Travelport for alleged anticompetitive behavior. So, what started in November as a battle over fare distribution has escalated into an antitrust war.
Through the end of the year, Orbitz and American Airlines fought it out, ultimately winding up in court, ...2011 Airline Quality Ratings - AirTran at number one
Apr 5th, 2011 at 10:00AM: The 2011 Airline Quality Ratings (AQR) were just released, and AirTran topped the list at number one. The Atlanta based air line got top marks in the study that accounts for on time arrivals, mishandled baggage, complaints, and other metrics. The study only includes airlines in the United States and provides interesting statistics about the overall quality of domestic air travel.
The main form ...Five business travel challenges for small companies to overcome
Feb 17th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Regardless of economic conditions, owning and running a small business isn't easy. It's always tough to find clients, allocate your funds effectively and maximize your bang for the buck. And, business travel is a big part of this. When you go out on the road, you know you're committing some serious cash to the endeavor, and you want to make sure you get as much value out of it as possible.
Part ...American Airlines ticket agent accused of half million dollar credit card fraud
Feb 17th, 2011 at 9:30AM: A (now former) American Airlines ticket agent from San Jose airport has been arrested upon suspicion of a running a major credit card theft scam.
Micheline Johnson, pictured here, worked the airline ticket counter at Mineta San Jose International airport for American Airlines. As part of her job, she regularly dealt with passenger credit cards to pay for tickets, fees and other charges. Each ...American Airlines launches Android mobile app
Feb 9th, 2011 at 1:30PM:
Last night, American Airlines launched their first Android mobile app. Like most other airline apps, this one is a real one-stop-shopping stop for everything AA.
Inside the app, you'll find your reservations, mobile boarding pass, flight schedules, flight status and a special version of AA Sudoku. Yeah, we're not entirely sure what Sudoku is doing there, but it is a nice bonus.
Hidden ...Galley Gossip: Flight attendants trained to spot human traffickers at the Super Bowl
Feb 3rd, 2011 at 9:30AM:
What do hundreds of flight attendants, thousands of under-age prostitutes and the Super Bowl all have in common? Dallas. On Sunday they're all traveling to Texas. American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta, United, and Qantas hope to help stop human traffickers from pimping out women and children by holding training sessions that will enable flight attendants volunteering their time on the ground ...Video of the Day - In the Air
Jan 25th, 2011 at 5:00PM:
The more I fly, the more I take it for granted. When flight starts to become a routine mode of transportation, it's easy to lose the sense of wonder and amazement that we all had on our first airplane rides.
The thrill of taking off. The unfamiliar view of roads and cars from up above. The wingtips slicing through wisps of clouds.
Today's Video of the Day from filmmaker Ryan Booth ...United and American sue City of Chicago for planned O'Hare expansion
Jan 18th, 2011 at 8:00PM:
United Airlines and American Airlines have taken a disagreement with the City of Chicago to court, asking a judge to block a planned expansion of the airport.
At the heart of the disagreement is "phase 2" of the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP). The modernization of O'Hare started years ago and was badly needed - it included new runways, a new air traffic control tower and upgrades to the ...Judge blocks Sabre, gives American Airlines a break
Jan 11th, 2011 at 8:00AM: I guess it would make sense for American Airlines to turn to litigation. After all, this approach worked well against Orbitz.
Here's the situation: the battle between airlines and online travel agencies escalated from the beginning of November – with American's announcement that it would pull out of Orbitz – through the new year. The latest move was by global distribution system ...Five reasons why you're wrong about American Airlines and the booking battle
Jan 7th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Everyone seems to think this is about the passengers. It's not. In true airline industry fashion, nobody cares about the customer.
Okay, now that I have your attention, an analyst note from Avondale Partners was sent to me last night. While most people don't get excited about this sort of thing, I have to admit that I still do. Nerdy, maybe. Insightful ... in this case, it definitely is.
The ...Sabre tells clients of American Airlines drop, booking war is scorching
Jan 7th, 2011 at 9:00AM: Okay, we all saw this coming. The battle that was expected between airlines and online travel agencies as a result of improving market conditions has reached a high level of intensity, centered on American Airlines (with Delta playing a supporting role).
The situation is running deep, as both American and Delta have stepped back from online travel agencies (though for slightly different ...Sabre pushes American Airlines down, "all out war" [BREAKING]
Jan 5th, 2011 at 3:00PM: And, the developments just keep coming. The latest in the airline booking battle is that global distribution service Sabre has given American Airlines a bit of a shove nudge. According to a statement from the Business Travel Coalition, "Sabre took steps to protect the interests of an independent travel distribution system from American Airlines' (AA) attempt to impose a new model that heaps huge ...American Airlines is talking to Expedia and Orbitz (about the WRONG stuff)
Jan 5th, 2011 at 1:00PM: American Airlines isn't giving up. Despite having pulled out of Orbitz and been booted by Expedia, the company says it's still talking to the two online travel agencies and is hopeful for a resolution. According to Dow Jones, these are "active discussions" and that American Airlines is "comfortable" with booking results.
Nonetheless, American is still betting on Direct Connect as its preferred ...Can travel booking sites endure the airline onslaught?
Jan 4th, 2011 at 12:00PM: American Airlines wanted out of Orbitz ... and then it was bounced by Expedia (preemptively, it seems). Delta wanted out of CheapOair ... and OneTravel ... and BookIt. Nobody knows what's next, but it appears that something is on the horizon, given the magnitude of change in the airline/online travel agency landscape over the past few weeks. I wrote a month ago that a "brand war" was brewing, a ...Expedia suspends sale of American Airlines flights [BREAKING]
![Expedia suspends sale of American Airlines flights [BREAKING]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2011/01/photofuelsmartplaneinairlarge_thumbnail.jpg)
Jan 1st, 2011 at 9:30AM: I just heard from a spokesman for Expedia a few minutes ago that it has suspended the sale of flights by American Airlines. Expedia revealed the following to Gadling:
"We have been unable to reach an agreement with American Airlines due to American Airlines' new commercial strategy that we believe is anti-consumer and anti-choice. American Airlines is attempting to introduce a new direct ...Lies, discrimination and combat: American Airlines claims sales increase post-Orbitz
Dec 30th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Yesterday, American Airlines announced that it was thanking its customers for their continued loyalty to the airline. It was a fairly predictable move, following the airline's decision to pull out of Orbitz ... which was followed quickly by Expedia's making it more difficult to find American Airlines fares.
At the same time, the company engaged in a bit of chest-thumping – again, expected ...Is American Airlines making a "reckless rodeo bet"?
Dec 24th, 2010 at 9:00AM: American Airlines' decision to pull out of Orbitz has triggered a war in the travel industry, as airlines and online travel agencies vie for ownership of the customer. The latest step was Expedia's decision to minimize the exposure of American Airline options in searches on its site, likely a play to reduce the risk of a move by American to pull out of Expedia, too.
According to a statement by ...Expedia demotes American Airlines, airline booking war gets HOT
Dec 23rd, 2010 at 3:30PM:
Could the battle between airlines and online travel agencies have gotten any more intense? This week, American Airlines got the green light in court to yank its fares from Orbitz, and Delta announced that it was pulling out of several smaller sites – CheapOair, OneTravel and BookIt. Travel industry experts are saying it's about time, but that doesn't lessen the shock to the business, ...Will Orbitz and American Airlines kiss and make up?
Dec 23rd, 2010 at 8:00AM: The recent decision by American Airlines to pull its inventory from Orbitz caused quite a stir. A major change in an $800 million relationship will do that, of course. Some industry-watchers, however, don't see it as a permanent situation. In a report by WFAA, Tom Parsons, owner of BestFares.com, said, "Three months down the line, nobody will even know American's there, and I think the loser will ...When airlines pull out of travel websites, who loses?
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 11:00AM: It's been a busy week. The action with airlines and online travel agencies has been brisk, and in the end, it affects you as much as it affects them. Sure, there's plenty of money involved for the travel sites and the airlines, but in the end, it all comes down to what you experience during the buying process. These changes – with American Airlines and Orbitz and Delta and CheapOair – ...
