Galileo claws back share

Saturday, 27 Jan, 2005 0

Galileo is claiming a UK market share of 40% on the back of client wins, but Sabre has branded the announcement “predictable”.

The GDS won two clients from Sabre – Kent-based Lupus Travel and Scott’s Tours, and two from Worldspan, IKB and Tulip Holidays.

UK manager Jason Clarke said the company was pleased with the announcements in what he described as a “tough competitive marketplace” for GDSs.

Commenting on the claims, a spokesperson for Worldspan said: “We don’t dispute Galileo’s claims. Worldspan also had many wins in the UK last year, with about 110 new customers in this important and growing market for us.”

Another rival was also defiant. Sabre Travel Network vice president for UK and Ireland Reet Wiseman, told TravelMole: “This is all highly predictable stuff from a GDS under pressure in this market, immediately before a major industry event.

“At the end of the day Galileo is haemorrhaging business hand over fist to its competitors in the UK and no amount of news release writing will change that. In January 2004 we estimated that Galileo had a UK bookings share of 42.3 percent. We are, therefore, encouraged by today’s revelation that it has a 40 percent share.

“Let’s put this into some kind of perspective. Over the past six months we have converted 33 agencies to the Sabre system – most of them from Galileo. In addition, we’ll be announcing two significant new business wins from Galileo once the hype around the Business Travel Show has settled down. Issuing a news release about its UK bookings share right now possibly wasn’t the smartest move Galileo has made all month.”

The Galileo win comes after months of intense competition between Galileo and Sabre, including a heated exchange between the two in June last year when Sabre claimed 15 client wins, many from Galileo, including Advantage Travel Centres, Eton Travel and some Uniglobe agents. In April last year Galileo won P&O Business Travel away from Sabre in a five year deal.

Galileo has also this week announced wins with Swiss Travel Centre and Holiday Express and Sabre today announced a win with Grosvenor Travel Management.

Report by Ginny McGrath

Ginny McGrath

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