In what must be one of his last acts as CEO - David Jones told a packed audience of Travel Agents in London April 1st that he was finally acknowledging the immorality of paying agents to use the Amadeus system.

Dressed like Clement Atlee with a shorn head and wearing a 1930s top coat against the spring showers, Jones stunned the audience but there were further shocks in order as he had more to add.

To cheers from the suppliers in the audience (who had paid for the rally event) and jeers and thrown shrimp from the agents, the British CEO who is known for his gentility didn't mince any of his words.

"I have long believed that the practice of paying a travel agent to use our system was a disservice to our real paymasters the airlines." Continuing on - he challenged the leaders of both Sabre and Travelport to join him in his holy crusade to rid the industry of outdated business models and a return to as he put it "a normalized state" of affairs.

The encouraging words of wisdom to the assembled audience of suppliers however were short lived when the other shoe fell.

"Effective immediately, we are also abolishing the differential in all booking fees irrespective of whether the booking comes from online or off line or from an agent or a supplier.

Commenting on the announcements, one agent was overheard to say "Blimey, what will happen next Willie Walsh as a Flight Attendant". An airline executive who was within earshot was heard to mutter and describe the acts as "robbing Peter to pay Paul."

A small group of people in the audience at the rear of the crowd were suitably glum and looked remarkably unhappy. It is rumoured these people were Amadeus Agency Sales staffers.

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