German carrier Lufthansa has filed a lawsuit against Sabre over a breach of contract regarding the €16 GDS fee charge.
The airline said it’s “seeking clarity” on contractual terms with Sabre that are viewed differently by both companies.
The GDS company believes its contract with Lufthansa means the controversial charge should be applied to other distribution channels such as direct sales by the airline. Lufthansa contests this view.
The €16 Distribution Cost Charge (DCC) was introduced last summer where a fee would be applicable to all bookings on Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss not made through one of its own channels such as Lufthansa.com.
In a statement Sabre said: “Just as Lufthansa would fully expect Sabre to honor all aspects of our contractual relationship, Sabre has expressed its concern to Lufthansa, on multiple occasions, about Lufthansa’s failure to comply with its contract.
“Nonetheless, over the past several months, Sabre has worked diligently to understand and be responsive to Lufthansa’s commercial objectives and we have had several constructive discussions about how our technology solutions can support Lufthansa’s business.”
It added: “Sabre will defend itself vigorously against this lawsuit.”
The airline said: “Lufthansa is seeking clarity on contractual terms with Sabre that seem to be viewed differently by the parties.”
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