Mrs. Chicke Fitzgerald

GLG News by Mrs. Chicke Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer

GLG News is now G+ Insights

G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.

AA/AMR and Sabre Holdings extend their deal "well into 2012" until the legal claims are resolved

August 30, 2011

Analysis of:American Airlines: US investigating GDSs on antitrust issues | www.tnooz.com

AMR’s American Airlines and Global Distribution System (GDS) company Sabre Holdings have been entangled in a contractual and legal battle that was to have originally come to a head in the Texas District courts on September 1st.  It has now been extended “well into 2012”.  In addition to the Texas courts, the battle also extends to the Department of Justice.

Moody downgrades Travelport Debt

August 17, 2011

Analysis of:Moody's lowers Travelport's CFR to Caa1; outlook remains negative | www.moodys.com

Moody's has lowered the corporate family rating (CFR) and probability of default rating (PDR) of Travelport LLC (Travelport) to Caa1 from B3.   Approx USD $3.2b in rated debt instruments affected The senior secured, senior unsecured and the subordinated instrument ratings have also been lowered to B1 from Ba3, to Caa2 from Caa1, and to Caa3 from Caa2, respectively. The outlook remains negative.

Airline cutbacks are projected - GDS and OTAs need a backup plan

August 16, 2011

Analysis of:Airlines risk deeper cuts amid US wealth destruction | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Bloomberg reports that U.S. airlines may have to cut back on flying as the slowing economy erodes their ability to boost fares while they struggle with higher costs for jet fuel.  This translates into cutbacks in frequency and capacity.Add to this the airlines' propensity to push for direct distribution to consumers, cutting out the higher yield GDS-driven travel agency/travel management company channel, and you have a recipe for financial disaster.

Spotlight on Travel Technology : Concur Technologies - on the acquisition trail

August 2, 2011

Analysis of:Spotlight on Technology: Concur Technologies | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

In the big scheme of the travel ecosystem, corporate travel represents about 25% of all of the 2 billion trips taken and there is a player in Redmond, WA that intends to touch as many of those trips as possible - and it is NOT Microsoft.  Today we are going to shift gears to corporate travel technology and take a look at Concur Technologies, founded in 1993.   Concur is based in Redmond, WA and has over 1,200 full time employees. 

The Hospitality Brand Game - Direct Distribution by the Hotel Industry

July 28, 2011

Analysis of:The Hospitality Brand Game | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Yesterday I posted the June Compete stats for the airline industry and Tuesday, posted the same for the online players. While this is easy for those industries, for the hotel industry, not so much.Sure, we can start by looking at the top level brand picture for each of the publicly traded hotel companies, but it doesn't tell the whole picture, due to what I call the "hospitality brand game".The analysis is for Marriott, Wyndham Worldwide, Intercontinental Hotels, Starwood and Hyatt Hotels.

June stats released by Compete - Expedia still leads the OTA

July 27, 2011

Analysis of:Wednesday, July 27, 2011 June OTA stats released by Compete | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Today Compete released its June 2011 normalized metrics for unique visitors to the wide range of websites tracked by the organization.  My blog shows the results for the top Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).

Solutionz adds Travel Industry Stock Portfolio to our blog

July 26, 2011

Analysis of:Travel Industry Portfolio Added to Distribution Solutionz | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Those that have been following my analysis on GLG will know that the travel industry is like its own ecosystem - deeply intertwined.For that reason, we have added the Travel Industry Stock Portfolio to our blog site, and will soon add it to our web site.

AA CEO's Statement of the Obvious in the airline's dispute with the GDS

July 25, 2011

Analysis of:AA CHIEF ACKNOWLEDGES 'ENORMOUS RISK' IN GDS BATTLE | www.travelmarketreport.com

While ABC's nightly news counts down to the breakdown in government talks over our multi-trillion dollar debt, a countdown of another variety is also ticking away.   On August 31st, Sabre and American Airlines' contract for the distribution of AA's inventory to the online and offline travel agency community expires.   As of this writing, that leaves  36 days, 3 hours, 15 minutes and 07 seconds for American and Sabre to come to terms.

AMR American Airlines Stock may reach an all time low

July 22, 2011

Analysis of:AMR on Yahoo! Finance | finance.yahoo.com

The stock trading chart for AMR, the parent of American Airlines, looks like the downward trek from the summit of Mount Everest.  It last traded at $4.36, with today's rates bouncing between $4.26 and $4.59.  The 52 week high is $8.98.  This past week American announced the largest aircraft order in history with Boeing and Airbus.  Next week, a dangerous game of chicken with Sabre will play out, with AA threatening to pull out of the US' largest global distribution system company's displays.

Delta Airlines $100 million investment in its website - Brilliance or folly?

July 13, 2011

Analysis of:5Q Interview with Richard Anderson (Delta CEO) | www.thetransnational.travel

In reference to "Richard Anderson, Delta Air Lines (5Q Interview)" I published my blog today which was entitled:To Delta Airlines: I would have built the website for $80 million.....As a follow on to my earlier article last week about doing the math on distribution costs, I can't resist commenting on Delta spending $100 million on its website, or roughly $1 per passenger boarded, based on 2010 performance).

Who is the biggest Global Distribution Systems Company?

June 25, 2011

Analysis of:Who is the biggest GDS? | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Today's blog is on topic that I have been personally intrigued with since I wrote my first book on Global Distribution in 1999 - GDS Share.When I wrote my last book on the GDS companies, I got all of the GDS companies to share with me their booking share data by region and I forced them to rationalize their differences so that no one would object to what was published.  That was a decade ago and the marketplace (and the owners) are different, and so is the availability of GDS booking share data.

Travel Industry Market Share has a New Definition (and will need new metrics)

June 25, 2011

Analysis of:Market Share has a new Definition | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Today's blog is a discussion about the term "market  share" when used in the travel distribution ecosystem context.Let me start by saying that prior to the advent of the Internet  in the mid-90s, third party travel distribution was dominated by the Global Distribution Companies (GDS) and booking share was most easily estimated by the use of MIDT (marketing information data tapes).

Travel Industry Pedigree Series: Orbitz.com

June 15, 2011

Analysis of:Travel Industry Pedigree Series: Orbitz.com | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Well, in the world of travel distribution on the OTA side of the equation, if Travelocity was the "come home to papa" story, then Orbitz Worldwide is the "child running as far away from the parents as possible" story.   Well, at least one of its parents....  more on that later.Orbitz was founded by four airlines (Continental, United, Delta and Northwest) and was later joined by American Airlines. For the diagram of the pedigree story, see the original blog.

Travel Industry Pedigree Series - Travelocity

June 14, 2011

Analysis of:Travel Industry Pedigree Series - Travelocity | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Travelocity's pedigree is somewhat simpler than Expedia's.    This is what we call the "come home to papa" story (with Papa being Sabre).   The story actually started a bit before the 1996 date shown in the graphic on the original blog, with Sabre's entry into online with EAASY Sabre and Commercial Sabre in the 80s on Compuserve.   

Travel Industry Pedigree Series: Expedia

June 13, 2011

Analysis of:Travel Industry Pedigree Series: Expedia.com | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

This blog covers the history of Expedia, from a corporate pedigree perspective.  Expedia is currently a publicly traded entity.  Expedia began as a skunk works project within Microsoft, with then 29 year old [dare I say "pup"], Rich Barton at the helm.Unlike its competitors over the years, there were NO airline investors in Expedia.  The site was powered by Worldspan, then owned by Northwest, Delta and TWA.   To say they have come a long way is an understatement.

Travel Industry Pedigree: Hotwire.com

June 11, 2011

Analysis of:Travel Industry Pedigree Series: Hotwire.com | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Solutionz launched a new series today on our blog, documenting the pedigree of the various major players in the travel industry.  This is the first in a new series, called Travel Industry Pedigree.  In this series, we will look at how each of the major players in the travel space got their start. We begin with Hotwire.com, an operating company of Expedia.

Jet fuel climbing again - annual impact to airline industry could be $60 billion

June 6, 2011

Analysis of:Sustainable profits holds key to future of aviation (and the GDS, OTAs, Casinos and Hotels) | www.breakingtravelnews.com

This week's price of aviation jet fuel is $130.2, up 51.5% from one year ago.  The last time fuel prices were this high was the summer of 2008.  We saw devastating impact to the US travel industry as a result.  IATA expects the impact of the new fuel price average ($127.4/barrel) to result in a $60 billion impact on the global aviation industry.  This doesn't account for the impact on the Global Distribution System (GDS), the Online Travel Agency (OTA), Cruise Lines, Casinos and Hotels sectors.

AA/Sabre Dispute: All is quiet on the western front..... for now

June 1, 2011

Analysis of:AA/Sabre Dispute: All is quiet on the western front... | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

For the time being, June 1st is not the cataclysmic event that had been predicted, but the engines have not been turned off in this game of chicken, at least not just yet. This morning, Travelocity (powered by Sabre) still has AA prominently displayed and the travel management companies that we serve still seem to have AA availability displayed using the normal algorithms in native Sabre.

Distribution Fundamentals: Looking through a single lens can be hazardous

May 28, 2011

Analysis of:Distribution Fundamentals: Looking through a single Lens can be hazardous | distribution-solutionz.blogspot.com

Any first year MBA student already knows that in order to see the profit picture clearly, you need to look at both revenue and cost.If you are charged with understanding the dynamics between travel suppliers and the distribution channels, we recommend you read the full article.In the full article, we review the hazards of not looking at the total profitability picture, which is the current state of play in the GDS/airline battles.

Travel Industry impact of Google's acquisition of ITA Software - Market maker?

April 19, 2011

Analysis of:Google Seals ITA Deal; Larger Antitrust Review Looms | www.foxbusiness.com

In any retail business, when you are able to control or influence consumer behavior, your ability to dominate a particular product or service category increases exponentially.  Google controls 64.9% of search traffic.  That is market control by any measure.  Add to that the ability to take simple queries for the most common of all online activities - travel planning and intervene with recommendations versus pure search results - and you have the making of a market maker in the travel industry.

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