American Airlines, Sabre renew agreement
BY DAVID MCLAUGHLIN Bloomberg News
Friday, November 30, 2012
11/30/12 at 4:47 AM
See previous stories about American Airlines and its Tulsa operations.
AMR Corp.'s American Airlines said it will continue its antitrust case against Orbitz Worldwide Inc. and Travelport LP as the airline's settlement with Sabre Holdings Corp. was approved by a judge.
Fort Worth-based American sued Sabre, Orbitz and Travelport, claiming they conspired to block the carrier from entering the electronic flight data and reservations market via its AA Direct Connect system, in violation of federal antitrust laws.
"American will continue to litigate against those entities aggressively," Alfredo Perez, an attorney for AMR, said at a hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, N.Y., where the Sabre settlement was approved by Judge Sean Lane.
Under the agreement, American and Sabre are renewing their current distribution agreement for multiple years, the two said in October.
Created by American in 1960 and spun off in 2000, Southlake, Texas-based Sabre operates the world's most extensive flight data and reservations network, linking more than 350,000 travel agents to more than 400 airlines through its global distribution system, according to its website.
It also runs the online bookings site Travelocity.
U.S. District Judge Terry Means in Fort Worth ruled in August that Sabre, Orbitz, and Travelport must face American's claims.
Spokesmen for Orbitz and Travelport didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment about remarks by Perez.
Original Print Headline: AA renews agreement with Sabre
