A complaint has been filed by the USA equivalent of the ITAA, American Society of Travel Agents (Asta) to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) against American Airlines.
Asta accuses American Airlines of “abusing its market power” by withdrawing over 40pc of its fares from Global Distribution System (GDS) distribution in April, making its best-priced fares available only through New Distribution Capability (NDC) channels or its website.
The complaint was submitted on July 31 and was revealed in mid-August. However, the DOT has not yet responded to the complaint.
Asta argues that the industry is unprepared for NDC and that American Airlines’ actions have caused widespread disruption, leading to significant price discrepancies and difficulties in booking and servicing NDC bookings. They also accuse American Airlines of anti-competitive behaviuor by imposing new terms on agents.
Clive Wratten, the CEO of BTA (Business Travel Association), confirmed that the association signed the letter of complaint to the DOT. Wratten expressed support for NDC but noted that TMCs have invested significant time and money to prepare for NDC, while airlines have not fully delivered on their commitments.
