Indian agents now set to boycott international airlines

After a series of successful boycotts which saw Indian airlines reinstating travel agent commissions, associations are now set to boycott international airlines which have implemented zero commission policies.
Earlier in the year, many Indian airlines declared they would move towards a zero commission policy, but after several Indian agent associations stop selling tickets until the policy was removed, the airlines begrudgingly reinstated commissions.
It appears that the associations are now ready to tackle international airlines who have also withdrawn commissions, naming Singapore Airlines as a potential boycott target.
“Barring a few, most foreign carriers, including Singapore Airlines, are not paying any transaction fee or commission. We will begin boycotting foreign airlines if they don’t fall in line,” Rajii Rai, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) President, said in the Economic Times India.
Major international airlines including Air France–KLM, Lufthansa, Continental and JAL stopped paying travel agents’ commissions in November.
Travel agents argued that the travel market in India is still in its infancy, and travellers were not ready to pay a transaction charge for their services yet.
28/12/08 e-Travel Blackboard Asia

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Categories: Foreign Dec 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Dec 2008