New aviation minister will resolve our issues: Travel agents

Mumbai: It has been almost a year since the Kerala high court (HC) sustained the travel agents’ right to charge commission from the airlines. However, most foreign airlines are not paying the commission to the agents while the Indians are. As such, the travel agents are hopeful that with the new civil aviation minister and tourism minister in tow they will be able to get justice.
On March 5, 2010 the Kerala HC upheld the rights of the travel agents to charge commission from the airlines for selling their tickets. “This March it will be a year since the court passed the order but none of the foreign airlines are acceding to it,” says Rajesh Rateria, chairman, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI). In 2008, around 19 airlines resorted to zero commission regime and asked the agents to charge transaction fee from the passengers. Retorting this move the agents went to the HC which passed an order in their favour and asked the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) to implement it. While Indian airlines like Air India Limited, Jet Airways and others are paying the agents a 3% commission the foreign ones are flouting this rule.
07/02/11 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Feb 2011