American Airlines remains in 'active discussions' with Expedia and Orbtiz

American Airlines remains in "active discussions" with Expedia and Orbtiz regarding the sale of tickets on the carrier's services, according to American's Director of Distribution Strategies, Cory Garner (Dow Jones, 04-Jan-2011). Mr Garner stated the carrier remains committed to a restructure of its distribution strategy by requiring all external sellers to access its fares and schedules through a direct electronic link rather than through the global distribution systems (GDS) such as Amadeus and Sabre that still dominate the airline ticket market, especially for corporate travel. Expedia recently suspended the sale of American Airlines' tickets from its websites while stating the carrier's new direct marketing strategy is "anti-consumer and anti-choice".