In case you missed the story last week, here is a little tit for tat on the latest in the AA/Sabre argument from this snippet of an article from Travel Weekly in the UK
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A spokesman for American said: “We believe evidence will show that, among other illegal behaviour, Sabre has used its market power to inflict harm on American by hindering the sale of tickets on American flights. The sole purpose was to preserve its monopoly position by deterring American and others from continuing to pursue cheaper, more flexible means of distribution.”
Sabre has filed a counter antitrust claim against American, arguing that: “American is unlawfully forcing travel agencies, travel management companies and corporations to take its Direct Connect product in order to access the airline’s full fare information.
“American Airlines is attempting to eliminate the GDSs . . . by refusing to provide complete fare information to GDSs and by forcing travel agents to use its direct connect product instead of GDSs.”
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Not sure where you weigh in on this?
It’s easy to find arguments for and against the requirement that airlines display and sell all fares and ancillary services through the GDSs.
However, where but The Beat Live 2011 can you witness completely unauthorized representatives of both perspectives hashing it out in a Court of Chancery? Largely obsolete in the real world, the Court of Chancery sits without a jury and empowers its presiding chancellor to determine all issues of fact, pronounce injunctions and issue writs. Advocating for the GDS perspective on Sept. 20 in Las Vegas will be Solutionz’ Chicke Fitzgerald. Her opponent? Former Air Canada exec Marc Rosenberg of Marsalyn Creative. Presiding as chancellor will be Tom Wilkinson of KesselRun Corporate Travel Solutions.
Don’t miss The Beat Live, Sept. 19-21 in Vegas.
Register to attend here:
http://www.thebeat.travel/live