Alexandria, V.A., November 4, 2024 — The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) acknowledges Turkish Airlines' October 2024 communication to its “valued travel partners” regarding its 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.
