Wilmington, Del. — Global distribution systems dominate indirect air travel distribution because travel agencies don’t want it another way. So it’s not unexpected to find that a new initiative like moving to XML-based connectivity under NDC takes a long time. So says an award-winning economist who has studied the travel distribution market for about a…
Trial testimony by CWT president and CEO Kurt Ekert proved instructive for anyone looking to understand travel management company dependence on global distribution systems. There was no elephant in the courtroom on the payments GDS firms make to TMCs. Ekert acknowledged that in 2018, GDS companies paid CWT incentives totaling roughly $155 million, about 10…
BCD Travel is paying Microsoft about $20 million for a multi-GDS search and booking desktop system that also could help agents manage bookings made outside the global distribution systems. The travel management company a decade ago retired a similar initiative after airlines patched up their differences with GDS providers. The ultimate cost of the project…
Wilmington, Del. — Sabre has entertained the idea of charging airlines lower prices for bookings made through NDC-compliant connections than it does for those made traditionally. The information emerged here Thursday during testimony at the United States of America v. Sabre trial. According to evidence presented in the trial, American, Delta and United as of…
Wilmington, Del. — Executives with American Airlines thought about buying a piece of Farelogix a few years back when they got wind that the tech developer, a key partner, might be for sale. No deal occurred after Farelogix owners floated a “buy it now” price of $500 million. Sabre in November 2018 announced an agreement…
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