Another GDS enters deal with BA, Iberia

A NEW deal between Sabre
and British Airways as well
as Iberia could see agents
negotiate better content and
pricing with the two airlines.
This follows the introduction
of a new £8 (R150) surcharge
per sector on bookings for the
airlines on the GDS.
“Sabre has signed a new
distribution agreement
with BA and IB,” an email
to agents states. “In this
new model, BA/IB and the
agency negotiate the content
commitments. Agencies
entering into a private channel
agreement will have access
to presumably better BA/IB
content than if they did not
enter into such agreement.
“We recognise that some
agencies will not sign a
private channel agreement.
Agencies that do not sign a
private channel agreement
can continue to book BA/
IB content in Sabre. These
agencies may have access to
less content and be subject to
the BA/IB surcharge, however
the content for these agencies
that is available through
Sabre will be no less than the
content available through other
GDSs.”
Sabre did not elaborate
further when asked for
comment.
Recently Flight Centre Travel
Group, Amex and HRG have
entered into an agreement
with IAG (International
Airlines Group), which owns
British Airways and Iberia,
that exempts them from the
airline’s surcharge for bookings
made on the GDS (TNW
November 8). These agencies
all book on Amadeus.
HRG coo, Bill Brindle,
commented on the Amadeus
deal in The Beat: “Effectively,
that’s British Airways reaching
a relationship with Amadeus.”
He added that HRG “worked
with Amadeus on that as well,
and so I have a relationship
with British Airways; British
Airways has a relationship with
Amadeus; I have a relationship
with Amadeus; and we have a
different structure.”
Andrew Stark, md MEA of
Flight Centre Travel Group,
says while agents will have
the same experience booking
BA and IB on Amadeus, the
GDS has a compliance level
that accommodates the NDC.
“An agent will not know the
difference. It is the mechanism
behind the scenes, the back
end to tracking and making the
reservation that has changed,”
he says.