Sunday, September 1 could be D-day for Turkish Airlines being bookable through the Sabre GDS.
The carrier has announced that its content will no longer be displayed on Sabre or Abacus from September 1. According to TK, issues regarding the distribution agreement between Turkish Airlines and Sabre have not been resolved and, as such, the agreement will expire on August 31.
If the matter is not resolved quickly, it means TK’s presence on Sabre will end from September 1.
“Despite the positive and constructive approach Turkish Airlines has shown to continue its participation in Sabre, this has currently not been resolved yet,” the airline said in a statement.
After September 1, the airline’s content will only be available on other GDS platforms, or Turkish Airlines’ distribution channels.
“Turkish Airlines stays optimistic that Sabre will reconsider its position regarding the distribution agreement between Turkish Airlines and Sabre,” said the airline.
The airline provided guidelines for agents regarding tickets issued on Sabre before August 31, and new ticketing processes going forward.
*Individual and public fare reservations made on Sabre will be cancelled on August 31 at 23h30, since there will be no communication between the airline and Sabre. The latest ticketing time limits for reservations will be updated to this time. Group or private fare reservations can be ticketed by contacting the airline’s sales office, or through alternative GDS channels.
Changes for tickets issued through Sabre before August 31 can be made through alternative GDS channels or Turkish Airlines channels. It must be noted that interline tickets cannot be changed via the Turkish Airlines web or mobile channels.
For refunds, the airline said after a ticket had been successfully transferred to another GDS, refund transactions could be made through that GDS.
Agencies that do not have an alternative GDS can use Turkish Airlines distribution channels, TROYA or Quickres. Agencies that do not have an alternative sales channel other than Sabre must contact the Turkish Airlines sales offices for ticket refund applications.
