AA, Travelport Say New Deal Is Possible ‘Soon’

Travelport and American said they remained in discussions and were “working hard” to resolve their long-running dispute.

“We believe we can reach a new deal soon,” they said last Thursday in a joint statement to customers.

Agreements expire Tuesday
The full content agreements between Travelport and American Airlines will expire on Jan. 15 unless the two companies reach an agreement, they said.

If the agreements expire, American would no longer have to meet its commitment to provide full content to Travelport, and there would be no Content Continuity Program or Super Access Product fees for American bookings.  

However even if no deal is reached, “American intends to provide you with uninterrupted access to its content for display and sale through the Travelport GDSs while we continue to work toward a new agreement,” the companies said.

What’s happened so far
American sued Travelport and Sabre in 2011 for antitrust violations, and both GDS companies responded with counterclaims. American and Sabre settled their dispute in late October.

In December, American and Travelport underwent a second round of mediation. Although it did not result in an agreement, they requested, and were granted, a second stay of their lawsuit to continue negotiations without the distraction of preparing for the trial.

The stay also expires Jan. 15.