As reported in the Turkish press, from September 1, Turkish Airlines fares will no longer be available through Sabre, which means that tour operators will have to look for other places to book flights.
Experts recalled that Sabre’s core business is a global distribution system (GDS), an intermediary between airlines and travel agencies. Travel sellers connect to Sabre’s technology platform to gain access to wholesale prices for airline tickets to purchase on behalf of clients.
What did the intermediary and the Turkish carrier disagree about? Each company accuses the other of not agreeing.
As Sabre stated, they failed, “despite intensive efforts,” to reach mutually beneficial and commercially reasonable terms. As a result, Turkish Airlines decided to stop distributing its content through Sabre.” The Turkish national carrier responded kindly: “Despite the positive and constructive approach Turkish Airlines has shown in continuing its participation in Sabre on the same terms as our other GDS partners, these efforts have not been reciprocated by Sabre.”
It is known that Turkish Airlines is preparing to launch a platform called TKConnect, which travel agents can use to book flights directly with the airline, with the promise of “special promotional prices, better opportunities for ancillaries, and a more modern look that includes visual effects.” Most importantly, bookings through TKConnect will be exempt from distribution fees, which the airline plans to charge for sales through intermediaries such as Sabre and Amadeus.
“The systems provided by Amadeus and Sabre have been the backbone of air ticket booking for decades, but the industry is exploring other options. Airlines often look for ways to circumvent the increasing fees that come with working through an intermediary,” the Turks explain. However, they added that American Airlines had tried to move to a similar strategy, focusing on direct bookings and modern retail, but had to abandon it due to “poor execution,” the carrier eventually said.