Orbitz Worldwide Inc. said Wednesday that it will vigorously defend itself against a lawsuit filed by American Airlines, which is in a dispute with the online travel company over commissions.
American, which is owned by AMR Corp., has been trying for months to reduce the commissions it pays online travel sites for each ticket booked. In December, it stopped selling tickets through Orbitz as part of the push. A week later, Expedia Inc. removed American from its listings.
American’s tickets are still absent from the Orbitz site. Earlier this month the airline and Expedia announced a deal in a joint statement but did not disclose the terms.
American filed a lawsuit in Texas on Tuesday against Orbitz and Travelport, an online travel company that owns half of Orbitz Worldwide.
Orbitz said in a statement that it is “leaving open all possible options to seek relief from American Airlines’ predatory actions.”
The company claims American is trying to force it ”to adopt an airline ticket distribution model that limits consumer choice and inhibits competition.“
