Now that the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued final rules governing global distribution systems
(BTNonline, Jan. 5), Orbitz has decided it will not actively pursue a role as a booking system for agencies. "We now know what the rules are and honestly I'd have to say we don't have a plan to go market Orbitz to travel agents," said chairman, president and CEO Jeffrey Katz. "That's always an idea, but I'm not sure how good an idea it is for us. It may be a good idea for somebody else, but what I can tell you now is we don't have a plan to do that."
An Orbitz spokesperson said Navigant International subsidiary Aqua Software Products still has a partnership with Orbitz. Though it was later delayed pending the DOT's GDS ruling, Aqua and Orbitz signed a deal to connect agencies to Orbitz's inventory in 2002
(BTNonline, May 16, 2002).
Orbitz in August told the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was "well positioned" to connect agencies to airline booking systems using its Supplier Link direct connection technology, pending regulatory changes
(BTN, Sept. 8, 2003).