In 1976, Videcom with British Airways, British Caledonian and CCL launched Travicom, the world's first multi-access reservations system, (wholly based on Videcom technology), forming a network providing distribution for initially 2 and later 49 subscribing international airlines (including British Airways, British Caledonian, TWA, Pan American World Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, SAS, Air Canada, KLM, Alitalia, Cathay Pacific and JAL).
The system was replicated by Videcom in other areas of the world including the Middle East (DMARS), New Zealand, Kuwait (KMARS), Ireland, the Caribbean, United States and Hong Kong.
In 1987, Sabre's success in selling to European travel agents was inhibited by the refusal of the big European carriers led by British Airways to grant the system ticketing authority for their flights, even though Sabre had obtained BSP clearance for the UK in 1986.
American Airlines brought a High Court action which alleged that British Airways, after the arrival of Sabre on its doorstep, immediately offered financial incentives to travel agents who continued to use Travicom and would tie any override commissions to use of the Travicom system.
[4] British Airways eventually bought out the stakes in Travicom held by Videcom and British Caledonian to become the sole owner, and although Sabre's vice-president in London, David Schwarte, made representations to the US Department of Transportation and the British Monopolies Commission, BA defended the use of Travicom as a truly non-discriminatory system in flight selection because an agent had access to some 50 carriers worldwide, including Sabre, for flight information.