Airline officials said they have blocked other Web sites, including Travelocity and Expedia, from selling their tickets. Southwest also claims that Orbitz makes it appear as if Southwest offers inconvenient connections between cities - for example, from Detroit to Albany, N.Y., via Chicago and Baltimore. Orbitz officials said they show unusual routes if they save the consumer money. In negotiations before Southwest filed the lawsuit, Orbitz made concessions on three other issues, including removing Southwest's logo from its Web site. Both sides claimed that they were acting in the interest of increasing competition and helping consumers.
Most observers believe that the airline industry needs to be more competitive.
The American Society of Travel Agents protested that the site was part of a plan by airlines to drive agents out of business, and the Justice Department has been investigating possible anticompetitive implications of the airline-backed Web site. The Department of Transportation concluded last month that Orbitz could increase competition in the online travel business. American, Delta and Northwest declined to comment on the lawsuit. Officials at United and Continental did not return calls. It is not a private communication.