Airline Industry Information - SAS puts stop to travel agents offering cheap tickets

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2001 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

SAS, the Scandinavian airline, has put a stop to travel agents selling cheap tickets for its flights.

Travel agent Univers Reiser had been booking tickets via Austrian Airlines, an alliance partner of SAS, which was offering a ticket to Paris on an SAS flight for NOK2,955 and half price for youngsters under 18. The same ticket bought through SAS cost NOK3,344 with just a 33% reduction for children under 16, reported the Norwegian daily Aftenposten.

SAS is obliged to accept Austrian Airlines tickets for its flights; however when SAS found out what Univers was doing, the travel agent withdrew the Austrian Airlines SAS ticket offer and is now selling tickets on SAS flights at full price as it does not wish to upset the region’s dominant airline, the newspaper said.

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