Skift Viewpoint
Turkish Airlines has been pushing direct flight bookings since October, but the move has caused dissatisfaction among the public. American Airlines failed to try a similar strategy this year, which will surely provide a reference for Turkish Airlines' implementation.
Justin Dawes
As of September 1, Turkish Airlines tickets will no longer be available through Sabre, which means travel agents will need to book tickets elsewhere.
Sabre's main business is its global distribution system (GDS), which is the intermediary between airlines and travel agencies. Travel sellers plug into the Sabre technology platform, obtain wholesale air tickets, and purchase them on behalf of their customers.
Each company blamed the other for failing to reach an agreement.
“Despite Sabre’s significant efforts, we have been unable to reach mutually beneficial and commercially reasonable terms., and Turkish Airlines has decided to stop distributing its content through Sabre,” Sabre said in a statement.
Turkish Airlines did not respond to Skift’s request for comment. Wrote in an email To travel advisors: “Despite Turkish Airlines’ positive and constructive approach to continuing to participate in Sabre’s business under similar terms to other GDS partners, Sabre has not responded.”
Sabre rival Amadeus confirmed that its talks with Turkish Airlines were ongoing.
Shift to direct bookings
Turkish Airlines is preparing to launch a TK ConnectTravel agencies can use the app to book tickets directly with airlines without going through an intermediary. The airline said TKConnect will offer special promotional prices, enhanced ancillary service features and a more modern look and feel with integrated visuals.
The TKConnect landing page shows that flights booked through TKConnect will be exempt from distribution cost fees – a charge the airline plans to levy on sales made through intermediaries such as Sabre and Amadeus.
Systems provided by Amadeus and Sabre have been the mainstay of airline bookings for decades, but the industry is exploring other options. Airlines, for their part, often want to avoid the rising fees that come with booking through intermediaries.
The airline industry is also moving toward a more modern ticket-buying experience, which is exactly what TKConnect is targeting. Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport have been promoting their own versions of this technology.
American Airlines had been moving toward a similar strategy, focusing on direct bookings and modern retailing, but then changed its mind, its CEO said. Poor implementation.
“The alternative of establishing direct connections with airlines has proven to be costly and inefficient for both travel agencies and airlines,” Sabre continued in its statement to Skift.
Sabre also said it was willing to continue negotiations. “We value our relationship with Turkish Airlines and hope to reach an agreement with them in the future that satisfies the needs of all parties – Turkish Airlines, travel agencies, the customers we serve, and Sabre.”
