In a long-standing argument over online travel site commissions, American Airlines pulled its itineraries from Orbitz in an attempt to draw customers directly through the American website. This lead to Expedia dropping flights from its site in January.

The move lead to confusion amongst prospective fliers who were left uncertain as to whether they were getting the best prices on such aggregate websites.

The dispute has been ended today in a joint agreement which has seen itineraries return to both sites. The news was given in a joint statement though the the terms of the deal are not yet known; however, Expedia looks set to access American Airlines’ fares and itineraries via their direct link and through the use of Expedia’s aggregation system.

Expedia’s sister site, Hotwire, has also relisted American flights.

Roughly 30% of US travellers book flights directly through airline websites in search of the best deals rather than use travel sites such as Expedia. By encouraging this practise, airlines such as American had hoped to avoid paying commission on bookings and this lead to the dispute three months ago between the parties.

Reported by Zeke Lyons.

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