Tourexpi
ASTAs Statement on Turkish Airlines’ Distribution Strategy
The
trade organization has significant concern over the absence of any mention of
Sabre, the largest global distribution system (GDS) in the United States.
Turkish has not distributed its air content through Sabre since September 1,
2024.
Sabre
is an indispensable platform that countless U.S. travel agencies rely on to
book flights efficiently and provide competitive options for their clients. The
lack of clarity as to the status of Turkish Airlines' negotiations and
commitments with Sabre has left many travel agencies uncertain about their
future access to the airline’s complete range of offerings.
ASTA
strongly urges Turkish Airlines to provide greater transparency to the U.S.
travel agency distribution channel regarding its discussions with all GDS
providers, especially Sabre. This transparency is essential for travel advisors
to maintain the high standard of service they deliver to the U.S. traveling
public.
Additionally,
ASTA calls on Turkish Airlines to confirm whether content available on its
consumer website will also be accessible across all GDS channels. Travel
advisors need confidence that Turkish Airlines’ offerings will be equally
available through the GDS systems they depend on today, rather than being
restricted to direct connections or limited to select GDSs.
ASTA
encourages Turkish Airlines to engage in an open dialogue with the travel
agency community to clarify its distribution strategy and content availability
through all established GDS platforms. Only by doing so can Turkish Airlines
ensure that agencies have the necessary tools to continue meeting—and
exceeding—the expectations of their clients.
Image
Credit: © AA
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