Scottish agents wade into BA-GDS row

The Scottish Passenger Agents' Association issued a press release yesterday morning attacking British Airways over its ongoing dispute with everyone various parts of the industry over costs which might be handed back to passengers and corporate travellers if negotiations with the GDSs fail.

The SPAA claims a 300% hike in fees is "yet another unfair cost imposition - which will impact particularly on Scottish travellers".

[Read the full statement here]

The organisation's air committee governor, Brian Potter, says:

"We will be forced either to use BA’s own online booking facility to source purely BA itineraries - with the resulting increased administration workload, or to pass on the increased charge to our customers; and there is little doubt that the other major airlines will quickly follow suit, should BA’s decision go unchallenged."

The SPAA will find that driving people to use "BA's own online booking facility" is exactly their intention.

Just eight days until the "deadline" of the 28 February.

It will be missed - or least some of the contracts will not meet the deadline.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution