American pulls flights from Orbitz

December 22, 2010|Associated Press

American Airlines pulled its flights from the Orbitz travel website yesterday in a dispute that could eventually affect the way travelers buy airplane tickets online.

The airline said its tickets sold previously on Orbitz are still valid. And American Airlines tickets can still be bought at the airline’s own website as well as other travel websites. American pulled its tickets from the Orbitz for Business site as well.

The dispute is the latest sign of strains between airlines and the companies that sell airline tickets, including online sellers like Orbitz.

Airlines have traditionally paid sellers a commission. American also pays fees to the global distribution companies that provide the flight information.

Now, American wants Orbitz to get that flight information directly from the airline, cutting out the global distribution systems. American has said that will reduce costs and also allow it to make more personalized offers to customers such as hotels and car rentals.

Orbitz Worldwide Inc. called the decision “unfortunate’’ and said it would continue to seek a way to sell American tickets.