Sabre Pushes Back Opt-In Date

Sabre today said that it is pushing back the start date for its Efficient Access Solution subscriber opt-in program to Sept. 1 from Aug. 1.

"We recognize that our customers have had clarity on our program, but we are now just receiving clarity and other elements of what the other GDSs are doing and what the airlines are doing," Sabre senior vice president of North America Chris Kroeger told BTN. "A lot of that has just started happening."

Sabre Travel Network in June introduced the optional fee-based program that gives its global distribution subscribers assurances of "full airfare content" and immunity from airline service charges. Initially, Sabre gave its subscribers until Aug. 1 to decide if they want to opt in. Since then, Galileo and Worldspan have introduced similar programs and United and American airlines said they would impose fees on bookings going through nonpreferred channels. Sabre's new start date coincides with American's new fee activation and Galileo's launch of its program, Content Continuity.