BA Adds Worldspan To GDS-Content Fold

British Airways and Worldspan today announced a three-year distribution agreement that guarantees full content to the GDS's subscribers worldwide. The deal represents the third GDS agreement BA has signed following the expiration of content deals in late February, the first and second with Galileo and Sabre, respectively.

Like Sabre and Galileo, Worldspan said subscribers based in the United Kingdom and Ireland must elect to join the global distribution system's opt-in program to be shielded from BA's £3 per-segment surcharges for reservations booked through nonpreferred channels beginning April 10. The GDS said it soon would announce terms and conditions of the program.

Worldspan said the deal ensures all of BA's published fares, "including fares distributed by other GDSs and travel distributors, as well as Web fares offered through ba.com, will be accessible across Worldspan's distribution network serving travel agencies, corporations and Worldspan-connected travel Web sites worldwide."