Attempts by American Airlines and Sabre to settle their legal differences out of court through mediation "have failed to produce an agreement," according to an AA spokesman.
U.S. district court Judge Terry Means in February ordered the parties by the end of March to head into mediation in an attempt to resolve the carrier's federal antitrust claims against the GDS operator. Judge Means had requested that AA and Sabre by this week file a summary of their attempt at "alternative dispute resolution," according to court documents. Filed this week under seal, the summary is not available to the public.
"Our preferred solution is a negotiated agreement, and we have retained the services of a very experienced and capable mediator," according to an AA spokesman. "However, to date, those efforts have failed to produce an agreement. Thus, we are continuing to pursue our legal rights and to seek compensation for the harm done to our company."
Sabre would not comment.
Meanwhile, American and its other GDS defendant in the case, Travelport, next month will take their turn in mediation, having agreed upon Hon. Layn Phillips of law firm Irell & Manella as their mediator, according to court documents. The mediator has been ordered to file a summary of the proceedings within seven days of mediation, but no later than June 7, "whichever occurs first," according to the judge's order.