HONG KONG — The dogfight between American Airlines and the online travel agencies that used to be its business partners has important global implications for online ways of doing business. Unfortunately, the real loser will be the person that both sides say they are scrapping for, the airline passenger.
Without action by wide-awake consumer advocacy groups and vigorous attitudes by governments in defense of contract law, competition and pricing, traveling, especially across national borders, is going to get more expensive and troublesome.
American Airlines ended its contract allowing Orbitz, the smallest of the big four U.S. online travel agencies, to display its fares on Orbitz' site after American wanted to use its own technology.