American Airlines and “booking source premium”

UFTAA members will recall American Airlines’ (AA) announcement made in mid-November that it planned, as from the end of 2010, to charge travel agents a fee for each segment booked by them over AA’

UFTAA members will recall American Airlines’ (AA) announcement made in mid-November that it planned, as from the end of 2010, to charge travel agents a fee for each segment booked by them over AA’s services using a Travelport GDS supplier.

UFTAA promptly took a vigorous public stance against AA’s heralded intention and questioned its legality, as well as that of any supporting role of IATA BSP acting as an accessory by processing ADMs generated by AA. Letters were sent to AA, Travelport, and to IATA setting out UFTAA’s position. Explanations were received from the two adversaries.

UFTAA refrained from taking a position as to the rights and wrongs of the quarrel between AA and Travelport but made an issue of the fact that travel agents were about to become innocent collateral casualties in a war in which they played no part. UFTAA urged AA and Travelport to think again and to devise a solution to their difference that did no harm to others.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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