The increasingly explosive debate over distribution costs could be defused if global distribution systems providers promoted their wares more effectively, Sabre senior vice-president Martin Cowley told GTMC conference-goers.
"The GDS/travel management company combination is the most efficient [distribution system] in terms of marketing presence," he said. "I believe that airlines are paying at least as much to distribute through their own websites.
"GDSs have not been good at defining the value that they bring."
Cowley was responding to complaints from British Airways' head of corporate sales, Richard Tams, that "GDSs seem not to acknowledge who the customer is - those who are paying the GDSs bills don't seem to be on the top of the pile".
Patrick Lukan, UK and Ireland general manager of Galileo, argued: "GDSs continue to be a vehicle for very, very efficient global distribution of travel products. But we, too, have significant costs that don't just go away."
Guild chairman Maurice Veronique acknowledged that whether distribution costs were paid by the supplier or by the intermediary, they would ultimately be passed on to the corporate client.
Deputy chairman Mike Hare took a rather less conciliatory approach. "It's because fares are too low that we are having these stupid discussions," he complained. "Get your fares right."