ARCHIVE: AA flights not bookable on Orbitz - Courts order reinstatement (2010)
Dec 21, 2010, 3:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
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Posts: 6,638
ARCHIVE: AA flights not bookable on Orbitz - Courts order reinstatement (2010)
Looks like the two sides could not reach an agreement. Stay classy!
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/orbitz.j...ryId=undefined
Effective December 21, 2010, schedules and fares for flights on American Airlines and American Eagle are no longer available on Orbitz.com or websites powered by Orbitz.com.
Tickets for travel already purchased through Orbitz remain valid but changes must be made through American Airlines Reservations by calling 1-800-433-7300.
Customers can choose from a wide range of online and traditional travel agencies to search for and purchase tickets including AA.com, which features our Lowest Fare Guarantee and No Online Booking Fees.
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MODERATOR'S NOTE
For related threads, see:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-1-2011-a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ug-2011-a.html
Update regarding AA Flight Availability listings on ExpertFlyer
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...18-2011-a.html
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/orbitz.j...ryId=undefined
Effective December 21, 2010, schedules and fares for flights on American Airlines and American Eagle are no longer available on Orbitz.com or websites powered by Orbitz.com.
Tickets for travel already purchased through Orbitz remain valid but changes must be made through American Airlines Reservations by calling 1-800-433-7300.
Customers can choose from a wide range of online and traditional travel agencies to search for and purchase tickets including AA.com, which features our Lowest Fare Guarantee and No Online Booking Fees.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODERATOR'S NOTE
For related threads, see:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-1-2011-a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ug-2011-a.html
Update regarding AA Flight Availability listings on ExpertFlyer
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...18-2011-a.html
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Last edited by dstan; Jan 19, 2011 at 10:14 am
Dec 21, 2010, 3:22 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA PLT PRO, AGR, Strawberry (Nordic Choice), Marriott Bonvoy
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Dec 21, 2010, 3:25 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 380
It is not a dispute about commissions. It has to do with AA trying to connect Orbitz directly to its reservation system instead of using a GDS to book AA flights.
Dec 21, 2010, 3:32 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 223
What's the benefit to AA in having Orbitz connect directly?
Dec 21, 2010, 3:33 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LA - MEL
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Posts: 332
Anyone think this may have anything to do with new AA-BA-IB and or Oneworld reservation systems costing the 3 less than Orbitz fees?
Dec 21, 2010, 3:41 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Portland, OR, USA (PDX)
Programs: MileagePlus (Gold)
Posts: 24
It's easier to book through Orbitz if your home or destination is serviced by a smaller airport and need to take another carrier to get to an airport serviced by AA. Also, it's just nice if you do all your other bookings through Orbitz to keep it consistent, especially if you are booking hotel or car for the same trip.
Also, through eBates you can get 1-3% cash back on Orbitz purchases. That can add up quick if you do a lot of traveling!
Also, through eBates you can get 1-3% cash back on Orbitz purchases. That can add up quick if you do a lot of traveling!
Dec 21, 2010, 3:46 pm
#8
Original Poster
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Dec 21, 2010, 4:38 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,267
You can book itineraries through Orbitz that AA won't allow you to book. For instance, I wanted to book a RT from SBA to BOS, and I deliberately picked the longest route AA.com offered me: SBA-LAX-MIA-BOS. But AA.com wouldn't actually let me buy the fare it quoted me--instead, it repriced the ticket $150 higher when I tried to enter my credit card data.
I went to Orbitz and booked it there at the originally quoted price.
I went to Orbitz and booked it there at the originally quoted price.
Dec 21, 2010, 4:47 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: OKC
Programs: HH Gold, Marriott Platinum, AA EXP, National Executive Elite
Posts: 263
Guess I'm going elsewhere
My company requires all of our bookings to be done through OrbitzForBusiness. So, guess until the two parties kiss and make-up, I have to go to an alternate carrier. Who has the best status match program?
Dec 21, 2010, 4:47 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
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Posts: 8,156
Just received an email from AA with details about this, including a 20% off certificate for AA.com.
If I have booked an AA flight via Orbitz it was >> 12 months ago, so I'm not sure exactly who it's going out to.
If I have booked an AA flight via Orbitz it was >> 12 months ago, so I'm not sure exactly who it's going out to.
Dec 21, 2010, 5:05 pm
#12
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
United will bring you in at midtier providing you fly a set amount of miles in a fixed period (mine was 15,000 miles or 20 segments in 90 days). No fees involved. There's a lot of unhappy FTers with the change in some benefits there, though, so make sure you know what you're getting into.
Dec 21, 2010, 5:08 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
This is part of a bigger spat with Travelport, a GDS holding company, who owns 48% of Orbitz. AA wants agencies to direct connect to it (under a model where each agency would have to maintain direct connections to each single airline, and each availability query would have to go to all of them), which Travelport and the other GDS, who charge AA quite a lot of money per segment booked, are fighting. AA has already launched booking fees for Travelport-powered travel agencies (see here), sparing the US and Caribbean where their corporate contracts and too much would be jeopardized, and now is progressing with hurting Orbitz.
This will be an interesting battle, and customers seem already to be the early losers.
It's also interesting that while more airlines (including B6 and VX) added GDS connectivity to their standalone reservation model, AA is going exactly the opposite way.
This will be an interesting battle, and customers seem already to be the early losers.
It's also interesting that while more airlines (including B6 and VX) added GDS connectivity to their standalone reservation model, AA is going exactly the opposite way.
Dec 21, 2010, 5:11 pm
#14
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Silver, AA, WN, DL
Posts: 4,091
So much for using Orbitz coupons or discounts for air and hotel bookings with AA in the mix.
Dec 21, 2010, 5:14 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Stay classy, indeed!
