From: The Beat [mailto:thebeat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 4:49 PM Subject: Sabre Fights Back The Beat ~ a business travel newswire 8/24/04 4:47 PM Sabre Fights Back Sabre Travel Network this afternoon said Northwest Airlines' plan to impose on travel agencies fees for global distribution system bookings "is contrary to the letter and the spirit of" agreements Sabre recently signed with most major carriers, including Northwest. As a result, Sabre said it will implement responses that include biasing in fare displays against carriers that take such action, cutting off access to unnamed "system data and tools" and "withholding a portion" of GDS price discounts available to airlines under existing agreements. Sabre said the policy goes into effect today for Northwest Airlines. Earlier, other GDS companies said they are monitoring the situation. The Sabre policy applies to carriers participating in its Direct-connect Availability (DCA) three-year program?which offer airlines discounts on fees in exchange for full fare access?if they "charge a fee on tickets issued through Sabre that is not also applied to the airline's own website." Among other fees, Northwest today said that on September 1 it will impose a $3.75 one-way or $7.50 round-trip "shared GDS fee" on agency-issued GDS tickets for domestic travel. "We are taking proactive measures to protect consumers from hidden and selective fare increases. And we are standing up for online and offline travel agents, who have long-provided great service to consumers and corporations," said John Stow, president of Sabre Travel Network, in a press statement. "The Sabre DCA 3 program was introduced in late 2002 and was applauded by the travel industry for its role in eliminating fare confusion in the marketplace. It is unfortunate that Northwest Airlines is attempting to reintroduce that confusion; it is anti-consumer and anti-travel agent." Northwest Airlines signed the DCA agreement in July of 2003. ~ Jay Campbell © Copyright 2004 The business travel Beat ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Beat is a new, independent newsletter dedicated to relentless coverage of corporate travel distribution, founded by former Business Travel News executive editor Jay Campbell. To subscribe, send a blank email to subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To be removed, send a blank email to unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx For more information, visit businesstravelbeat.com. Jay Campbell can be reached at jay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 718/777-5808. Please send news releases to jay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Thank you. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers!