The three month old stand-off between travel agents and Singapore Airlines on the zero commission issue shows no signs of abating. Both sides have tried to negotiate but remain apart. If anything, the dispute has entrenched both sides in to their respective stands even further. In the latest move to pressure the Singapore national carrier,…
I must tip my hat to the travel agents’ associations in India. Their strategy of targeting one airline at a time, has paid handsome dividends. From a paltry five per cent commission on the basic fare, they have successfully made all the airlines pay three per cent on the gross fare, which includes the fuel…
As I had indicated in my earlier story, Kingfisher Airlines announced that it will pay three per cent agency commission to travel agents on gross fare, effective from today. The decision to pay three per cent commission was acknowledged in a fax sent to TAAI office last night. “The airline has also withdrawn Transaction Fee…
The travel agents appear to have won Round 1 of the “Zero Commission” battle. Less than four days after the agents decided to boycott Jet Airways and low cost subsidiary JetLite, Jet Airways announced restoration of the travel agents’ commissions. As per the release from Jet Airways, Recognizing the difficult economic environment for the travel…
Read a nice article by Anjuli Bhargava in the Business Standard today, about the airlines’ ticket prices, the fuel prices, and the politicians. I strongly recommend your reading it. Ms. Bhargava asks Can someone enlighten me as to what’s going on? I am referring to this quid pro quo that’s been playing out through the…
The “Zero Commision” ruckus has been ratcheted up another step, by the travel agents. As per various news reports, In a move aimed at forcing airlines to revoke their decision to withdraw the five per cent commission, previously built-in to the ticket prices, and paid to the travel agents, over 2,500 travel companies, including IATA…
India’s top three airlines have withdrawn a transaction fee on air tickets effective today for tickets sold through their call centres, websites or offices. Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have withdrawn the fee, which ranges from 350 rupees on a domestic economy ticket to 1,200 to 10,000 rupees on first class international tickets.…
Thanks to the global reduction in crude oil prices, and reductions in Customs duty (in response to desperate pleas by airlines), Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices in India, have retreated back to earlier levels of 8 months ago. Today, ATF is priced almost the same as in March 2008, but air fares show no sign…
The battered India airline companies received a lifeline from the government on October 31. The 5% Customs duty on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) has removed. In addition the government controlled oil marketing companies have announced a price reduction of Rs. 6,000 per kilolitre on ATF. These two steps, will result in an about 17% reduction…
Krupa Vora of TravelBizMonitor reports, of a significant development, which has national implications. Travel agents will continue to receive commissions on the sale of airline tickets till the Calcutta High Court passes judgement in the suit filed by a TAFI member agent in Kolkata. The TAFI member agent (plaintiff) filed a suit in Calcutta High…
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