Airlines likely to agree on Transaction Fee

Mumbai: In a recent development, Air India has agreed in-principle with regards to the long-pending requisitions by trade associations to include the Transaction Fee within the ticket cost and adopt a Transaction Fee model. However, the clause to the agreement is that it will be implemented for a period of five months from November 2008 to March 2009. Shedding light on this development, Anil Khalsi, Chairman – Northern Chapter, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) disclosed, “Airlines have not provided us with any reason or explanation behind this decision. Since airlines are not going to pay anything for including the Transaction Fee, they should include it within the ticket. If required they can review this matter after a couple of years. The period of five months is not acceptable by TAAI.” To discuss and deliberate this issue in detail, the associations, TAAI and Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) and airlines will come together for a series of meetings, starting next week.
Validating this development, Praveen Chugh, President, TAFI mentioned, “Airlines have agreed in-principle to include the Transaction Fee. However, we do not agree to the limited period and will not make any further comments until this issue is completely discussed.” Confirming the move from the airline’s point of view, Jitendra Bhargava, Executive Director – Corporate Communication and Spokesperson, Air India said, “We have decided upon what we think was relevant at this point of time. We were asked by the trade associations to take a decision on implementing the Transaction Fee within the ticket and we have taken the decision.”
04/09/08 Anita Jain & Krupa Vora/TravelBizMonitor

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2008