AA slams fee on Travelport GDS
Posted: Mon 22 Nov, 2010 10:49 AM
American Airlines (AA) has announced a per sector charge for travel agents who book AA using a Travelport global distribution system (GDS). This will come into effect from February 2011, according to a report in eTravel Blackboard.
Derek Cross, vice president, sales, American Airlines, was quoted as having said agents would have to bear the brunt of the cost hike to keep AA sustainable. Australian travel agents who use a Travelport GDS will be charged AUD11.95 per sector; Canadians will be charged CAD2.05; Chinese CNY143.44; Indonesians IDR131,717.50 and New Zealanders NZD17.29.
Gordon Wilson, president and chief executive, Travelport GDS, said Travelport did not condone the actions of AA to impose additional charges where Travelport is being used as the GDS. Wilson went on to state that, through this action, AA was penalising the people who deliver valuable revenue to the carrier in international markets.
