Online travel site Expedia has reached an agreement with American Airlines to resume displaying the carrier's fares and states it plans to access American's inventory through its direct connect model.
Expedia in January of this year dropped American's inventory after American created controversy in the distribution business by deciding to remove its inventory from Orbitz.
American has been pushing a 'direct connect' model, which allows travel agencies the freedom to communicate reservation data directly with the airline, bypassing GDSs like those operated by Travelport and Sabre.
"Expedia said it plans to access American's fares, schedules, and customised travel products and services via American's direct connect link by using aggregation technology provided by a GDS," American says.
Initially, however, Expedia's access to American's fares and schedules will be through GDS technology, American explains.
American also encountered pushback from its former subsidiary Sabre, after it also opted to drop American's inventory in August, one month before their contract expires.
American successfully won a restraining order preventing Sabre from taking that action, and later the carrier and Sabre reached a truce, and agreed to put litigation on hold until 1 June and revert back to their previous arrangement.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
