Southwest Airlines Takes a Stand in Court to Protect Customer Service
Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), America's premier low-fare airline, long recognized by its Customers for its outstanding Customer Service, was compelled to file suit yesterday to protect itself and its Customers from potential harm. The lawsuit was filed against a new travel website, called "Orbitz", which is controlled by a combination of five of the largest airlines, which together share 85 percent of the total U.S. air market. According to the lawsuit, this website is currently using proprietary information with respect to Southwest's fares and schedules without Southwest's permission. Worse, Orbitz has refused to eliminate false and misleading information from its website concerning Southwest's schedules, fares and routes, according to the lawsuit.
Southwest was forced to take legal action because the airline mega-site known as Orbitz has opened for business in spite of the fact that the website is currently under review by the U.S. Department of Justice. Regardless of government action, Southwest felt that it was necessary to initiate legal proceedings in order to prevent the continued unauthorized and inappropriate use of proprietary information and to prevent harm to the traveling public.
Orbitz is owned and controlled by American, United, Northwest, Delta, and Continental Airlines. Southwest is not part of the large airline consortium that formed the new travel website, as Southwest believes that the consumer interest is best protected by airlines competing individually and independently. Southwest's independent website, www.southwest.com, is the industry leader, offering low fares and ease of use. Southwest further believes that the industry-dominated website is essentially anticompetitive and will eventually lead to even further consolidation of the airline industry.
"It is with great regret that Southwest must take the extraordinary step of legal action," said Jim Parker, Southwest's vice president and general counsel and future vice chairman and CEO, "but we were not able to convince Orbitz to cease and desist from its misleading, untrue, and harmful representations with respect to Southwest's service, schedules, and fares.
"Most observers believe that the airline industry needs to be more competitive," Parker said. "Orbitz is a step in the wrong direction."
Southwest is not alone in its concerns, as at least 24 State Attorneys General across the U.S. have written the U.S. Department of Justice voicing similar concerns about the impact the proposed industry owned website could have on competition.
www.southwest.com
Editor's Notes:
-- A full copy of the legal filing can be found at www.southwest.com/oldc.pdf.
MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X65633926
SOURCE Southwest Airlines
Web site: http: //www.southwest.com/oldc.pdf http://www.southwest.com
Photo: http: //www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19981015/DATH006-b http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19981015/DATH006-c PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467