Skift Take
American Airlines's top boss Robert Isom feels confident in the carrier's evolving distribution strategy, the most assertive of all the carriers in the Americas. But some travel agents still feel bullied.
American Airlines' multi-year changes to its ticket distribution have had contentious implications for travel agents. The American Society of Travel Advisors in August filed an unfair trade complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, accusing American of causing "substantially higher air ticket prices for consumers and frustrated travel management companies."
American Airlines has made more changes to its distribution strategy than nearly any giant carrier in the world since around 2006.
The essence of American Airlines' latest phase of changes is that it's coaxing and prodding travel agents — and the software partners they use — to shift to new workflows and fee structures. But travel agents feel the carrier is using its large market share to push them into adopting processes and payment plans that aren't in their best interests.
American CEO Robert Isom discussed the direct selling of American Airlines tickets and its added travel products with Skift'