By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC-Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN NY Mag
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 19 – Sabre Travel International has been in the news during the war in Ukraine, as it removed Aeroflot from its global air ticketing system.
But this ubiquity also got Sabre sued for antitrust violations in 2011, and US Airways' case against it is coming to trial.
On April 19, 2022 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Lorna G. Schofield held a final pre-trial conference, after remand from the Second Circuit. Inner City Press covered it, it will the trial.
The issues were nitty gritty. How many lawyers are coming to Courtroom 110 in 40 Foley Square with laptops? How will be press be able to cover the trial? (Why not a call-in line, such as the US v. Parnas trial had?) Even, how much of particular swear words in email exhibits to redact. (Two letters at least, it seems).
US Airways, which merged with American Airlines in 2013, alleges that Sabre conspired with Amadeus and Travelport to monopolize distribution services to travel agencies in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Voir dire began on April 22....
Jump cut a full month later, after five days of deliberations, the verdict (of ONE dollar) which Inner City Press first live tweeted here:
Judge Schofield just said, "I understand there is a verdict."
Judge Schofield: You may be seated. Mr. Hunter, may I have the verdict form?
Judge Schofield: I'll read... has US Airways proved by a preponderance of evidence it was harmed? Yes. Did Sabre restrain trade [etc]? NO
Judge Schofield: State the amount to compensation to US Airways... ONE DOLLAR
Judge Schofield: Total amount of damages? ONE DOLLAR.
[Burn]
The case is - was? -- US Airways, Inc., for American Airlines, Inc. as Successor and Real Party in Interest v. Sabre Holdings Corporation et al., 11-cv-2725 (Schofield)
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