Travel News

BA appears to be moving towards a resolution over its stance with the GDSs.

The airline has issued a statement confirming a new content discount with Travelport-owned Galileo (but not the soon-to-be-Travelport-owned Worldspan).

The brief press release says the new “long-term, global full content agreement” will run for three years from 10 April 2007.

Discussions are apparently ongoing with Worldspan, Sabre Travel Network and Amadeus.

There is perhaps one line in the release that hints at the issue right at heart of the discussions experienced by all parties in recent weeks:

“The new opt-in programme offers travel agents in the UK and Ireland the opportunity to access all of British Airways’ fare content that is made publicly available thcoarse the airline’s sales channels, including BA.com.”

Ignoring the “travel agents in UK and Ireland” line - the discount is actually for agents elsewhere in the world, a press officer confirmed - the statement reveals BA’s continued desire to thrust its content thcoarse an many non-GDS channels as possible.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

Original post by Travolution Blogger