AA experiment

Dispatch 10
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Dispatch 10

As American Airlines all but dismantles corporate sales, airline industry pundits scrutinized AA’s latest arguments about going small and emphasizing competitiveness via network and loyalty. The strategy illustrates diversification among big airlines that adds to these challenging times for corporate travel buyers. Chief commercial officer Vasu Raja on March 4 told Wall Street analysts that…

Panelists speaking during a webinar conducted by Cerebri discussed booking channel policy leakage challenges stemming from airline NDC.
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Notebook: Two Buyers Say Policies Fail In The Face Of Distribution Fragmentation

Regardless of the allure, direct bookings with suppliers are out of bounds for most employee groups at two companies represented on a March 6 webinar hosted by Cerebri AI. Both firms mandate that bookings go through their designated travel management companies via counselors or the SAP Concur Travel booking tool. According to their travel managers,…

American Airlines

New AA Agency Program, Loyalty Restrictions Support Direct, NDC Distribution 

Keeping its chief commercial officer’s word on plans for more incentives on “internet” bookings, American Airlines on Tuesday announced new conditions for customers to earn miles and points beginning with tickets issued May 1. They’ll earn when they book directly with AA or certain partners, book anywhere as an AAdvantage Business member or contracted corporate…

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom

AA To ‘Start’ Restricting Legacy Sales And Service As Corporates Roll Eyes 

With American Airlines’ 2023 passenger revenues 8.8 percent higher and selling expenses 1 percent lower, executives said on Thursday that corporate buyers and travel management companies could expect more of the same: more incentives for business travelers to book directly, more focus on co-branded cards and loyalty, more degradation in support for predominant corporate travel…

Glenn Hollister, United Airlines
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United, AA Take Different Paths In Jettisoning Aging Small Business Programs

Thanks to apparently contradictory messaging from American Airlines, some travel managers said they were confused about how the line between airline small business programs and larger corporate discounts was blurring. Changes are underway at both American and United. AA stopped points accrual for the Business Extra program last month and encouraged enrollees to switch to…

Dispatch 8
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Dispatch 8

With cost savings from NDC “not turning out to be what it was meant to be,” Air France’s chief commercial officer last week lambasted American Airlines‘ distribution plan. “American Airlines is leading the way — they think they’re leading the way — in new distribution strategies,” said Angus Clarke during an Air France-KLM Group investor…

American Airlines and Alaska Airlines
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AA, Alaska End Joint Corporate Sales

Oneworld partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines no longer coordinate corporate sales for mutual accounts. They did not give a reason or say how many customers were impacted. “We are sunsetting our joint contract agreement with American Airlines, but it will take some time to work through the processes,” according to an Alaska Airlines media…

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