British Airways and Iberia said that on Sept. 18 they would increase the surcharge applied to bookings that don’t go through “an NDC-based connection or through other low-cost channels,” according to messages to travel agencies. The new fee is $12, or 10.50 euros and £9 per fare component. That’s up from the initial fee of $10/9.50 euros/£8. “We… Read More »
The three major U.S. network airlines are big on providing account-specific information. This can relate to spending, contract performance, ancillary services and operational metrics. Delta Air Lines in 2014 and United Airlines last year activated self-service reporting portals. Now comes American’s. American Airlines in June unveiled a portal for travel agencies. In the fall it will test a corporate client… Read More »
San Diego – Participants at last week’s Global Business Travel Association convention showed a stronger spirit of collaboration on alternative airline distribution than in years past. Notwithstanding mixed takes on the specifics, attendees and speakers reinforced the theme that corporate customers need the same sets of product and service options regardless of where they shop. New and updated distribution… Read More »
[CORRECTION, July 13, 2018: The original version of this article incorrectly identified one of the owners of Atriis. Along with Israel’s Amsalem, the other co-owner is Vision Capital, a U.K.-based private equity firm.] Some travel management companies are coming to grips with the New Distribution Capability, and they’re not going it alone. Global distribution systems, agency networks, tech… Read More »
When Lufthansa Group in mid-2015 informed the market of a new distribution strategy, one stated objective was to lower associated costs. The company expects to prove wrong the skeptics and start achieving that by the end of 2018. Lufthansa’s financial reporting does not offer enough detail to completely validate progress, but there are indicators of short-term pain for… Read More »
Though it claims more than 75 consolidated or shared clients including Dropbox, Iconiq Capital, Soros Fund Management and Spotify, New York-based WTMC is something of a corporate travel secret. Considering the trail it’s blazing for alternative airline distribution, it will be hard to stay quiet. WTMC is the first agency in the United States testing the British Airways… Read More »
There will be winners and losers if the proposed acquisition of Hogg Robinson Group’s travel management company unit by American Express Global Business Travel happens. One of the wounded is neither person nor company. It’s a program: the New Distribution Capability. Don’t blame NDC. It’s just a messaging standard. The real loser is the method in which certain… Read More »