Is not the pot calling the kettle black?

There is no online service (except Southwest) that can book Southwest. Orbitz is no different.

By claiming Southwest is worried that Orbitz will show that Southwest is not the lowest price airline is pure fantasy and doing a great diservice to Southwest. Southwest is one of the main reasons why we have lower airfares. If you think otherwise I would be glad to show you the light.

For the record, this is Southwest's reason for filing the lawsuit.


DALLAS, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), America's
premier low-fare airline, long recognized by its Customers for its outstanding
Customer Service, was compelled to file suit yesterday to protect itself and
its Customers from potential harm. The lawsuit was filed against a new travel
website, called "Orbitz", which is controlled by a combination of five of the
largest airlines, which together share 85 percent of the total U.S. air
market. According to the lawsuit, this website is currently using proprietary
information with respect to Southwest's fares and schedules without
Southwest's permission. Worse, Orbitz has refused to eliminate false and
misleading information from its website concerning Southwest's schedules,
fares and routes, according to the lawsuit.
Southwest was forced to take legal action because the airline mega-site
known as Orbitz has opened for business in spite of the fact that the website
is currently under review by the U.S. Department of Justice. Regardless of
government action, Southwest felt that it was necessary to initiate legal
proceedings in order to prevent the continued unauthorized and inappropriate
use of proprietary information and to prevent harm to the traveling public.
Orbitz is owned and controlled by American, United, Northwest, Delta, and
Continental Airlines. Southwest is not part of the large airline consortium
that formed the new travel website, as Southwest believes that the consumer
interest is best protected by airlines competing individually and
independently. Southwest's independent website, http://www.southwest.com, is the
industry leader, offering low fares and ease of use. Southwest further
believes that the industry-dominated website is essentially anticompetitive
and will eventually lead to even further consolidation of the airline
industry.
"It is with great regret that Southwest must take the extraordinary step
of legal action," said Jim Parker, Southwest's vice president and general
counsel and future vice chairman and CEO, "but we were not able to convince
Orbitz to cease and desist from its misleading, untrue, and harmful
representations with respect to Southwest's service, schedules, and fares.
"Most observers believe that the airline industry needs to be more
competitive," Parker said. "Orbitz is a step in the wrong direction."
Southwest is not alone in its concerns, as at least 24 State Attorneys
General across the U.S. have written the U.S. Department of Justice voicing
similar concerns about the impact the proposed industry owned website could
have on competition.