Texts Between Sabre Execs About Farelogix Deal Fuel U.S. Antitrust Lawsuit
Skift Take
Sabre had tried the unorthodox legal tactic of pursuing its $360 million acquisition of Farelogix, an airline tech vendor, without waiting for approval from U.S. antitrust watchdogs. But it apparently didn't count on federal attorneys claiming they have text messages between Sabre executives acknowledging the anti-competitive nature of the deal.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing to block Sabre's $360 million acquisition of Farelogix. In a suit filed Wednesday, federal government attorneys said they have obtained text messages where Sabre executives acknowledged that acquiring Farelogix would eliminate a competitive threat and further entrench Sabre in booking services.
On the day Sabre announced its intention to buy Farelogix, Sabre’s chief sales officer allegedly texted a colleague to say that one major U.S. airline would "hate" it. The colleague allegedly replied, "Why, because it entrenches us more?"
In another conversation, a Farelogix executive allegedly said that buying the company would allow Sabre to "tak[e] out a strong competitor vs. continued compet
