Airlines May Block Fare Information From Travel Websites, Group Claims

(CBS) -- Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz are just a few of the many sites travelers use to find the best deals in airline tickets.

Millions of people use them every month, but as CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports, they're a convenience that could be threatened.

The convenience of one-stop shopping is now being threatened, according to a study by the association representing travel sites.

"There have been instances of late when airlines have withdrawn their fare and schedule information from third-party sites," Steve Shur of the Travel Technology Association.

"It's a bad thing for both consumers and the industry," says George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog.com.

The cost for consumers is an estimated $6 billion a year if they can't compare prices.

It could also mean more time to find a flight. CBS 2 tested a search on Expedia, Chicago to New York. In less than 10 seconds, there was a variety of flight options.

A manual search of the four airlines with the lowest fares took nearly five minutes.

It may be frustrating for consumers, but it's advantageous to airlines.

There's no rule that says airlines have to share their fares. In fact, last August, American and US Air pulled information from Orbitz for a short time in a dispute over fees, and Southwest has never posted its flights on comparison websites.

"I think the airline industry is monkey-see, monkey-do, and Southwest has been so successful for so many years making profits," Hobica says.

American is back on Orbitz and insists it will continue to share information. United says information about its schedule is widely available.  But the possible threat of airlines pulling out of sites is a concern for travelers.

"They're not very consumer-oriented. They're not focused on the convenience," Susan Dempsey-Walls says.

CBS 2 reached out to Delta, but didn't get a response. The Travel Technology Association is sharing its study with the U.S. Department of Transportation and members of Congress, asking for appropriate action to protect consumers.