Worldspan will keep US Airways, for the moment
Worldspan says it will not remove US Airways from its GDS tommorrow.
Worldspan gave US Airways an ultimatum to deliver the web fares it was offering to Galileo and Sabre, or be removed from the GDS tommorrow. Following talks between the two, Worldspan says it will not remove US Airways for the moment, but talks continue.
A spokesperson from Worldspan told TravelMole that the two parties were mulling over the announcement by the US Department of Transport (DOT) to change the law on GDSs.
The DOT has proposed removing the law that requires all GDSs to charge airlines the same fee. It says it wants to make it easier for airlines to bargain good deals with GDSs, so that high costs are not passed on to the customer.
The law could also change that requirement on airlines that have a five percent share or more in a GDS, to participate in competing systems on equal terms.
Agency technology company, GENESIS has concerns over the proposals. President, Bruce Bishins (pictured) said the new rules would exacerbate the already strained relationship between the airlines and GDSs.
He said: “If the DOT’s proposed plan doesn’t persuade agencies to re-double their afforts to create a global, jointly-managed distribution system, frankly nothing else will”.
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