Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Sabre to ask hotels to pay for preferential positions in the GDS' hotel availability displays TW Crossroads

TW Crossroads: "Sabre is changing the unwritten rules of hotel distribution, asking hotels to pay for preferential positions -- often the first or second spots -- in the GDS' hotel availability displays for agents.
In the still-unannounced Sabre Hotel Spotlight program, which is slated to be implemented by mid-August, Sabre will not indicate that properties purchased the priority display positions, TravelWeekly.com has learned.
As one condition of participating in Spotlight, individual properties must provide Sabre with their Web-only rates. Sabre also seeks rate, rules and availability parity relative to direct channels and intermediaries.
The Sabre initiative comes as all four GDSs evaluate market dynamics in light of GDS deregulation, which goes into effect July 31. "

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