industry note

February 9, 2007

To: Corporate Travel Managers

From: Kevin Mitchell

Corporate travel managers (CTMs) with headquarters in the UK, or significant business travel activities there, should be aware that UK travel distribution change is on the horizon as watershed, long-term airline-GDS agreements come up for renewal at the end of February.

In collaboration with prominent UK travel Associations, BTC has been endeavoring to inform CTMs and other industry stakeholders about the near-term and strategic implications of failed British Airways-GDS negotiations. Much is at stake for managed travel programs, and BA needs to hear directly from CTMs, the representatives of their very best customers.

To this end, we have developed a customer Signatory Letter to British Airways for CTMs to consider signing. For your perusal, the letter can be accessed at http://businesstravelcoalition.com/advocacy/statements/131.htm.

If you can lend your name to this letter, please go to http://www.AdvancedSurvey.com/default.asp?SurveyID=48835 where a simple form has been set up to collect Signatories’ information. We would need to have all Signatories by the close of business on 20 February.

Airlines are keen to say that the “marketplace” will drive distribution system change. Well, in business travel, CTMs “are the marketplace,” and you want guaranteed full content and balanced solutions that strengthen the distribution system, not weaken it. This Signatory Letter provides a platform and highly leveraged opportunity for you to influence the direction of travel distribution not only in the UK, but throughout Europe.

I urge you to give this request the strongest possible consideration.