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HMMM...Maybe you want to AIM before your FIRE! Just like the SWA Lawsuit itself. This isn't aout misinformation -- its about SWA wanting to hide the fact that they don't have the lowest fares. They could solve all probs by making their fares and schedules public and sharing with the online ticketers. Wouldn't that make it easier for consumers???? Very Anti-consumer stance by Southworst. Get the lawyers out of the cockpits folks.

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Hop a Long: Southwest only has minimal participation with CRS systems to save money. The savings translates into cheaper fares for the consumer. Anyone who thinks Southwest is trying to hide something or gouge consumers should take a good hard look at a travel fare map. It can be divided into 2 different markets---Cities served by Southwest and those not served by Southwest. Guess what? The cities served by Southwest are much cheaper than the non-Southwest cities---every single time!!!!

Without Southwest Airlines, everyone would be paying more in airfares.

See also please:
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/010504/n04395388.html


Statement by Orbitz General Counsel Gary Doernhoefer in Response to the Lawsuit by Southwest Airlines:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010504/2391.html


[This message has been edited by doc (edited 05-04-2001).]

Howdy! I come back from a lil vacation and we got some action going on!

Well sure Southwest serves alternative areas which great. The issue here is that Southwest is mad that Orbitz published their publicly published fares...what's so misleading about that? Southwest can do what ever it wishes as far as keeping certain flights to itslef and its website--but it doesn't seem to me that Orbitz is misleading anyone by publishing what everey other travel site has access to?! (am I offbase?)

To me it seems Southwest is thrashing out without a concrete reason other than Orbitz seems to be showing lower fares on Orbitz.com...

-The Chief

Here is a good quote:

"Southwest currently provides this information [in question] to leading airline fare and schedule clearinghouses, and Orbitz pays a fee to license this data with the right to offer it online. Through these same clearinghouses, Southwest provides its flight information to thousands of travel agents and other travel providers. We think it is unfair and improper for Southwest to single out Orbitz and prevent this information from reaching the traveling public through our site. Furthermore, there are no legal restrictions on the of use this public information on the Orbitz website."

So where's the beef?

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.

If Southwest Can Sue for Bad Flight Info, Can We?
http://biz.yahoo.com/st/010507/24267.html

Orbitz' Anti-Consumer Practices Exposed in Southwest Airlines Lawsuit
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010508/hstu015.html