American Airlines Inc v. Travelport Limited et al

Filing 220

ORDER GRANTING EXTENSION OF CERTAIN DEADLINES: American and Sabre may participate in mediation rather than a settlement conference, and their deadline to do so shall be March 30, 2012. [see Order for specifics] (Ordered by Judge Terry R Means on 2/6/2012) (klm)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
FORT WORTH DIVISION
AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC.
VS.
TRAVELPORT LIMITED, et al.

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CIVIL ACTION NO. 4:11-CV-244-Y

ORDER GRANTING EXTENSION OF CERTAIN DEADLINES
On August 1, 2011, the Court entered an Initial Scheduling Order
(doc. 121) requiring the parties to, among other things, participate
in a formal settlement conference no later than January 31, 2012. The
scheduling order also requires the parties to participate in mediation
during the month of May 2012.
On January 31, 2012, a Joint Submission Regarding Settlement
Conference (doc. 210) was filed by plaintiff American Airlines, Inc.
(“American”), along with defendant Orbitz Worldwide, LLC (“Orbitz”),
and

defendants Sabre Inc., Sabre Holdings Corporation, and Sabre

Travel International Ltd. d/b/a/ Sabre Travel Network (collectively,
“Sabre”).

Although not styled as a motion, the parties’ submission

contains certain requests for relief.

First, American and Sabre ask

that their upcoming mediation be allowed to “serve as the settlement
conference required by the Court’s Initial Scheduling Order and that
their obligation to hold a settlement conference be extended.” (Joint
Submission 1.)

Second, American and Orbitz ask that their obligation

to conduct a settlement conference be extended as well.
After

review

of

those

requests,

the

Court

GRANTS

them.

Accordingly, American and Sabre may participate in mediation rather
than a settlement conference, and their deadline to do so shall be

March 30, 2012.

The parties are directed to the Court’s August 1,

2011 Order of Referral for Mediation (doc. 122) for details concerning
mediation.1

That order, however, is AMENDED such that the parties are

required to agree upon an impartial mediator no later than February
21, 2012, and shall by that date notify the Court in writing as to the
mediator’s name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, and
email

address.

The

mediator

shall

electronically

submit

the

Alternative Dispute Resolution Summary (attached as Exhibit B to the
Court’s Order of Referral for Mediation) no later than April 6, 2012,
or seven (7) days from the date of mediation, whichever occurs first.
With regard to the date of mediation, the parties shall agree upon a
date no later than February 24, 2012.

If no agreed date can be

scheduled, then no later than February 29, the mediator shall select
a date and all parties shall appear as directed by the mediator.
In addition, American and Orbitz must conduct a settlement
conference no later than March 15, 2012.

The parties must file a

brief settlement report, as described in the Initial Scheduling Order,
no later than March 22.
SIGNED February 6, 2012.
____________________________
TERRY R. MEANS
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

1

This shall also satisfy Sabre and American’s obligation to participate
in mediation in May 2012.

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