Turkish Airlines declined to comment on the expiration of its deal with Sabre, but the carrier on Tuesday did share the aggregators with which it has to deliver the expansion of its New Distribution Capability content, which “will give travel agencies even greater access to the carrier’s extensive global network and services,” according to the airline.
Companies that will work with TKConnect, Turkish Airlines’ NDC platform, include Travelfusion, Verteil, Drct, Mystifly, Nuua, Nuflights and Theta, according to the carrier.
“These aggregators have a proven track record of delivering top-tier distribution solutions, and their expertise will be instrumental in maximizing the reach and impact of TKConnect,” Turkish Airlines chief commercial officer Ahmet Olmustur said in a statement.
Turkish Airlines’ content went dark in Sabre channels on Sept. 1. Its deal with Amadeus was reported by BTN stablemate The Beat to expire Sept. 30. Travelport announced in August that it had extended its “long-term agreement” with the carrier, which “aims to enhance its modern retailing capabilities in Travelport Plus with the ability to quickly and easily customize offers for group bookings,” according to the global distribution system.
That statement, however, did not address the technology company’s distribution agreement for travel agencies. Travelport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The carrier announced in May it would launch its NDC platform Oct. 1, the same date it plans to begin to impose an as-yet-undisclosed surcharge on global distribution system bookings.