Flight cuts dent agents’ business

Hyderabad: Even as the fares of airlines dropped steeply, thanks to the cut in the prices of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), many medium and small-scale travel agents are struggling to make their ends meet.
The primary reason for their woes is the cancellation of many international flights operating from the State.
“Lufthansa Airlines, which used to operate 14 flights from Hyderabad in two weeks, has cut down the number of flights to seven and the British Airways from seven to five,” confirms a Rajiv Gandhi International Airport official.
According to travel agents, some international airlines are not giving the usual commission on the tickets booked. As a result, the agents are left with no option but to collect the amount from the customers, who are increasingly backing off and opting for high-class railway travel.
“Despite the cut in fares several customers are not willing to travel by air as they feel that we are charging them exorbitantly due to this additional commission. We cannot blame them also and, at the same time, we are losing our business,” explains Md Fahad, a travel agent based in Secunderabad. Adding to their woes is Internet booking or through other media, causing a dent in the business of the travel agents.
Talking of the drop in business in the first two weeks of January, Faheem, a member of the AP Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), says: “Last year we did a business of Rs 29 lakh and this year just of Rs 18 lakh.” He says the sudden slump in the market in the festive season has hit the business of medium and small-scale agents drastically.
27/01/09 ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2009