Frankly, dahrlings, I’m a little tired of all the professions of avid determination. The ardent avowals of devotion to the cause. The promises of brute resolve to unite - join together as one – culminating in ‘teaching airlines a lesson they will never forget!’
Puh-lease. It’s all talk. But it gets me every time. I think to myself, “Oh, this time it’s real!” “This time he will really come to me in all his manly splendour and wrap those lips around more than words…” I mean …. well, never mind.
So now there are rumblings about standing up to AA’s Fareus Interruptus. In their battle with Travelport they are forcing agents to book them via the web. Or Sabre. Or pay an extra fee. So the drums have started beating the familiar “If we all agree to stop selling AA they will be forced to toe the line.” Based on our track record, I don’t imagine American execs are losing any sleep. AA Pres Thomas Horton has heard this lot of hoo before.
Thing of it is, this isn’t just about American. If the trend of airlines pulling out of comparison shopping arenas continues, we are looking at a fragmentation of the booking process which will make phone calls and faxes look efficient.
It’s not like you don’t have the power.
