Follow DGCA order, pay our commission: travel agents to foreign airlines

Mumbai: The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) plans to write to all foreign carriers, asking them to implement the March 5 order of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regarding paying them a commission on ticket sale. They said if the airlines fail in doing so, they will again seek the government’s intervention in the matter.
About 18 months after the foreign carriers stopped paying a five per cent commission to travel agents, the DGCA on March 5 had ordered them to reconsider paying a cut to the travel agents. The order said that the zero commission norm was not consumer friendly as unscrupulous agents were charging high and arbitrary transaction fees from consumers on a flight ticket.
“Since March 5, we have not heard from the airlines about reinstating the commission. We are sending out letters to all the carriers asking them to follow the DGCA ruling. We will give them some time to respond, failing which we will approach the government to intervene again,” said Rajesh Rateria, chairperson, western chapter, TAAI.
The agents said the move will benefit consumers as a majority of them still book airline tickets through agents.
06/04/10 Indian Express

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Categories: Foreign Apr 2010, Indian Aviation- In General Apr 2010