2 Visions for Airline Distribution
Skift Take
Airline distribution's fate may lie somewhere between the skeptical view of Tom Klein, the former CEO of Sabre, and the optimistic view of Alice Ferrari, the CEO of Kyte.
Travel Tech Briefing
Editor’s Note: Exclusive reporting on technology’s impact on the travel industry, delivered every Thursday. The briefing will guide executives as they decide if their companies should “build, buy, or partner” to stay ahead.Let's talk airline distribution, contrasting two perspectives.
Tom Klein, senior managing director at Certares, used to be the CEO of distribution giant Sabre for many years. Klein is skeptical that significant change will come to airline distribution.Alice Ferrari, the co-founder and CEO of tiny startup Kyte, argues that her company belongs to a wave of tech vendors facing profitable opportunities to reshape airline distribution.Comparing their perspectives can help you gauge the state of airline distribution today.Klein spoke with Skift CEO Rafat Ali on-stage at Skift's 2022 Megatrends event last month. Ali asked him about distribution.
Klein said structural barriers in the airline industry discourage significant change in distribution. Airline executives care primarily about running their operations safely, efficiently, and with military-grade precision.For executives at the typical airline, distribution isn't a top priority or passion."Distribution gets tal
