Expedia, US Airways reach multiyear deal

TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 21 (UPI) -- US Airways and online travel company Expedia.com said Friday they reached a multiyear agreement to provide the airline's services on three travel Web sites.

Under the agreement US Airways, based in Tempe, Ariz., committed to offer all products and services, including fares and inventory, on the Expedia, Hotwire and Egencia Web sites through a central reservation system used by travel agencies, Expedia said in a release.

Expedia committed to working with US Airways to enable the distribution of its Choice Seats program through channels such as Expedia's online travel marketplace, among other things.

"We are committed to making it as easy as possible for our customers to purchase tickets from US Airways through as many sources as possible," said Andrew Nocella, the airline's senior vice president for marketing and planning. "Expedia is the world's largest online travel company and we're pleased that they will continue to be one of our key points of distribution."

Dhiren Fonseca, Expedia's co-president of the Partner Services Group, said Expedia and US Airways "share a commitment to providing travelers with affordable travel options around the world, without sacrificing the high level of service they have come to expect from our companies."

Industry observers note legacy carriers have been skirmishing with travel agencies -- both virtual and bricks-and-mortar -- over the cost of distributing products through third-party sellers and over controlling the distribution of seats.

Just before Christmas, American Airlines pulled its tickets and seats from Orbitz.com. In a tit-for-tat move, Expedia obscured American's prices on its site. By the new year, American and Expedia.com split, and American prices no longer appear at Expedia, either.