Sabre is seeking to intervene in American Airlines' suit against Travelport and Orbitz and is claiming that the airline is engaging in anticompetitive conduct.
Meanwhile, American Airlines today added Sabre as a defendant in its suit against Travelport and Orbitz.
In Sabre's legal filing in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, the GDS company alleges that American Airlines is illegally coercing travel agencies, travel management companies and corporations to sign on for its direct-connect solution, and that American Airlines is seeking to eliminate global distribution systems like Sabre's by withholding all of the airline's content and funneling some of it to intermediaries via direct-connect.
Sabre says it should be allowed to intervene in the lawsuit to protect its interest and because "American has expressly threatened to bring similar antitrust claims against Sabre and in fact has made allegations against Sabre in the instant suit..."
Sabre notes in the legal action that American Airlines sued Sabre Jan. 10 and sought a temporary restraining order against Sabre (for biasing the airline's flights in the GDS and increasing American's booking fees.)
Several American Airlines executives told Sabre CEO Sam Gilliland that the airline would sue Sabre on antitrust grounds unless Sabre agreed "to a temporary stand down of the ongoing litigation" and Sabre agreed to do so, Sabre alleges.
In a communique to customers and in a press release today, Sabre reiterates allegations in the legal action that American Airlines wields monopoly power over airline transportation out of its hubs and between many Caribbean and U.S. cities.
"Our preference was to extend the current legal stand down," says Chris Kroeger, senior vice president, Sabre Travel Network. "However, it is apparent based on AA's actions that Sabre has no choice but to pursue legal remedies."
Sabre is seeking a court injunction barring American Airlines "from continuing to force travel agents and other customers to take the airline's Direct Connect product," and Sabre is asking for damages.
In adding Sabre as a defendant in its antitrust claim against Travelport and Orbitz, American states that it decided to do so "after American attempted for several months to resolve disputes over distribution of the airline's fares and schedules, as American sought commercially reasonable terms for distribution through the Sabre GDS, but Sabre has been unresponsive to those requests."
Commenting on Sabre's legal action today, American stated: "Sabre's antitrust claims are meritless and should be viewed as what they are -- a spurious attempt to distract the public from the serious implications of its own anticompetive behavior."
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the GDSs over antitrust issues and American says it intends to honor its GDS contracts and will cooperate with the probe.