COMMENT: IATA Cuts Into Its Own Credibility With False Comparisons, Name-Calling

International Air Transport Association director general Giovanni Bisignani a few weeks back made his annual anti-global distribution system speech, calling providers of such technology "leeches." Of course, I'm all for heated commentary between airlines and GDSs. The Beat might even owe its existence to that conflict! But this particular terminology and the marketing collateral accompanying it are truly tasteless. (Click here to see for yourself). More importantly, they're thin on facts.