The American Society of Travel Agents (
The American Society of Travel Agents (
We have been saying all along that Orbitz is harming the ability of travel agencies to compete fairly in the marketplace, said ASTA President and CEO Richard M. Copland, CTC. To have a group of key congressional leaders go to the DOJ with the same message is further confirmation, and we heartily applaud them for taking such a pro-small business stance.
The letter was signed by the following members of Congress, eight of whom serve on the House Judiciary Committee: Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), John Baldacci (D-Maine), Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rick Boucher (D-Va.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), John Dingell (D-Mich.), Jo Ann Emerson (D-Mo.), Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.), Sue Kelly (R-N.Y.), Dennis Moore (D-Kansas), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Dennis Rehberg (R-Montana), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), Lee Terry (R-Neb.), John Tierney (D-Mass.), Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), James Walsh (R-N.Y.), and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).
Of them, Reps. Baldacci, Boehlert, DeFazio, Dingell, Frank, Israel, Kanjorski, Kelly, Moore, Nadler, Sweeney, Terry, Tierney and Walsh are co-sponsors of HR 1734, the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, which contains a provision that would provide travel agents and consumers with access to all fares.
In their letter to Hewitt Pate, deputy assistant attorney general for the DOJ, the Congressional leaders wrote Market experience over the last several months indicates that the contract terms and incentives contained in the Orbitz agreement raise significant antitrust concerns. The major airline owners of Orbitz appear to be using this joint venture to restrict output of critical travel information, to shift the costs of online travel distribution to consumers, and to steer traffic away from smaller carriers.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
