Kayak.com drops American Airlines airfares from listings

Some of you may have received an e-mail from American Airlines telling you that it will no longer be displaying airfares on Kayak.com or sister site Sidestep.com, according to the missive (text displayed at the end of this blog post).

American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner explained the company’s tiff with Kayak. The airline asked the meta-search engine to bar American ticket purchases through online travel agencies such as Orbitz.com or Cheaptickets.com. As of today, American’s airfares were not available on Kayak.com but flight schedules were still listed.

“They can display all the different airlines and display them side-by-side, but when the customer chooses, we want them to come to AA.com,” Wagner said. If they send the reservation through an online travel agency, Wagner explained, “we have to pay a fee, and the customer pays a booking fee.”

Kayak spokeswoman Kellie Pelletier said the meta-search website “terminated the relationship because American Airlines gave us terms and conditions for showing information.”

The request, Pelletier went on to say, violates the website’s commitment to providing comprehensive, unbiased choices for consumers.

Wagner said Mobissimo.com and Farecast.com agreed to the terms. Kayak chose to drop American Airlines airfare listings as of Aug. 1.

Both sides have one thing in common: Their spokespersons say they hope to reach a business agreement and resolve the situation.

–Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Image: Kayak.com]

Text of American Airline’s recent e-message:

“As a valued customer who has booked an American Airlines ticket through Kayak.com or Sidestep.com over the past year, we would like to inform you that American Airlines fares are no longer being displayed on these sites. You may still find our content through many other meta-search engines for purchase through our award-winning website, AA.com. Tickets already purchased remain valid for customers traveling on American.

“At American Airlines, we are committed to saving you time and money by making AA.com your one-stop shop for finding the best fares. In addition to our Lowest Fare Guarantee, you have the ability to search for the lowest available price for three days before and three days after your original departure and return dates. So, when booking your next trip, be sure to visit AA.com.

“And, as a special incentive, if you book your next flight on AA.com and travel by December 31, 2008, you’ll receive 1,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles.

“Thanks for choosing American Airlines. We look forward to seeing you on board soon.”

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 4:37 pm by Mary Forgione and is filed under Airline travel, Business Travel, Deals, Frequent Flier, Last Minute, News, Tips & Advice, Travel Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.