The parent of American Airlines yesterday said that it had settled the last of a trio of disputes with some of its largest ticket sellers, the Wall Street Journal reported today. AMR Corp. and online travel agent Orbitz Worldwide Inc. said that they had reached a deal to settle all litigation following years of disputes between the carrier and companies that distribute its flights and services, culminating in a series of suits and countersuits related to alleged antitrust violations and breach of contract. American had already clinched deals with two of the largest intermediaries—Travelport Ltd., which owns 48 percent of Orbitz, and Sabre Holdings Corp.—which paves the way for the carrier to offer more services direct to travel agents via an online system. Airlines have for years been trying to force changes in the way that the intermediaries operate, pushing for more flexibility to sell tickets and so-called ancillary products through their own websites. The intermediaries had pushed to have access to all airline products.
