More curious moves in the world of Direct-Connect at American Airlines, with the airline saying it is now in talks with American Express Global Business Travel.
It is the second such proclamation within the space of two weeks for the airline, after announcing that it is in discussions with Hogg Robinson Group over Direct-Connect.
Once again, no deal has been struck with American Airlines and AMEX, and the wording in the announcement is almost identical: "...the companies have agreed in principle to explore a long-term arrangement for the benefit of their corporate clients."
In short: the companies have agreed that they should talk to each other.
The talks, of course, could eventually lead to American Airlines receiving a massive validation of its fabled Direct-Connect system through one of the biggest corporate travel agencies in the world.
Such a partnership would still need the participation of a GDS, ironically.
"Under this arrangement, American Express Global Business Travel would receive guaranteed direct long-term access to AA's fares, schedules, and customized travel products and services via AA's direct connect link through aggregation technology for such content provided by one or more global distribution systems (GDSs)."
Similar to the HRG announcement earlier this month, no further details are being disclosed.
The timing of the statements regarding exploratory talks with AMEX and HRG comes, coincidentally, just as American Airlines is in the final stages of negotiations with Sabre over its long-term distribution deal.
Earlier this week, American Airlines moved to reassure agents they will continue to have access to the airline's content "either by commercial agreement ort court-imposed injunction".
The strategy of disclosing the airline has agreed "in principle" to simply have talks with big corporate travel agencies has raised a fair number of eyebrows since the HRG deal a few weeks ago, not least among those in the GDSs.
The most deeply cynical suggest the announcements are just a ploy to illustrate momentum around Direct-Connect while the GDS distribution negotiations rumble on in the background.
The unofficial line that seems to be coming out of a number of GDSs is that if corporate travel agencies feel Direct-Connect will benefit their businesses, then the GDSs would happily pursue it and agree commercial terms (as they are essentially still acting as the switch).
"But this isn't what we're hearing," says one source.
Another claims:
"Since when did an organisation pump out carefully worded press releases just to say it has agreed to talk to someone about something that may never happen - and now twice within two weeks. It's a tactic, nothing else."
Curiously, if it is such a tactic, then it is clearly one that has been sanctioned by the same army of lawyers at American Airlines who, meanwhile, are trading blows in the US courts with the likes of Sabre and Travelport.
One industry figure on the side AA says:
"If the whole exercise brings about a better resolution for American Airlines with its GDS negotiations then, sure, the lawyers may have been extremely nervous about playing the game through the PR machine, but it may have worked."