American Airlines ticket sales up despite disputes with online travel agencies

American Airlines has seen a year-over-year increase in its overall ticket sales after it pulled its schedules and airfares details for American Airlines and American Eagle flights from Orbitz.com last week, the airlines said in a statement.

The statement from American Airlines, the third largest carrier in the US, comes in the wake of a commercial dispute with Expedia and Orbitz, the two online travel agencies that are preventing American Airlines to appear in initial searches for flights on their websites. While customers need to particularly choose American Airlines to see the fares on Expedia’s site, Orbitz.com began listing American Airlines flights and schedules lower in the search.

Announcing about the increase in ticket sale following this discrimination, American Airlines thanked customers for their continued loyalty and support that fetched the airline the surge.

Further to boost the business, American Airlines that has more than 3,400 daily flights on average, has shifted to other online travel agencies, notably Priceline.com, Kayak.com, and its own website, AA.com.

Our results to date show that consumer choice is alive and well and that our customers continue to have thousands of options to purchase American's competitive fares and convenient schedules, Derek DeCross, vice president and general sales manager of American Airlines said in a statement, adding that the airline is open to working with all distribution channels, including traditional travel agencies, online travel agencies and global distribution systems.

“We do not envision a future in which we only sell to our customers through our own branded website. Our goal is to have broad distribution channels and choices for our customers, with our products and services delivered efficiently and without unnecessary costs flowing through the process, DeCross said.