“Worldspan seeks over $50 million from Chicago-based Web travel site,” stated a headline of a media report. According to nwitimes.com, online travel agent Orbitz has been accused of stealing valuable information from the travel technology supplier.

Published: 30 Apr 2006

“Worldspan seeks over $50 million from Chicago-based Web travel site,” stated a headline of a media report. According to nwitimes.com, online travel agent Orbitz has been accused of stealing valuable information from the travel technology supplier.

As per the report, in a lawsuit filed recently in Cook County Circuit Court, Worldspan LP says it is seeking more than $50 million from Orbitz because Orbitz breached its contract with Worldspan by accessing prohibited airline seating information.

“Worldspan operates a computer reservation system that compiles data for booking flights. When a company, like Orbitz, uses Worldspan’s seat maps it is required to pay a fee. Those fees represent a major source of revenue for Worldspan, the suit contends. Orbitz features direct connect reservations, whereby the company uses an airline’s internal reservation system -- rather than a third party’s computer reservation system -- when booking a flight. It is one way that Orbitz can offer cheaper fares,” according to the report.

As per the information available, Worldspan contends that Orbitz’s direct connect bookings actually rely on seating information from Worldspan. “The suit further contends that Orbitz also breached its exclusive contract by using information from computer reservation systems other than Worldspan, including ITA Software Inc. and Galileo. In addition to the monetary damages, Worldspan is seeking an injunction to stop Orbitz from using ITA and Galileo and from accessing Worldspan's seat maps for direct connect bookings,” added the report.