commissions

Squeezed By Some Airlines, Flight Centre Tweaks Tech To Support Others

How much more can a travel management company make when corporate customers use its proprietary booking technology? Flight Centre Travel Group’s head of corporate travel wouldn’t specifically say, but his answer during a Tuesday evening conference call with equities analysts was instructive. With its own tools, the TMC has to cover maintenance and development costs….

Travel Management Company Consolidation Looms

In a Jan. 29 Business Travel News column, SAP Concur Travel president Charlie Sultan  predicted that distribution changes would “disrupt” travel management company revenue streams and combine with tech investment pressures to prompt “further TMC consolidation.” He didn’t cover Concur’s role. Parent SAP considered buying CWT but decided against it last week, according to sources…

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…

United Pulls Some Commission Programs

United Airlines last month informed travel management companies of significant cutbacks in certain commission programs, according to several industry sources. A press official with the airline declined to comment. The impact varied across several travel distributors reached by The Company Dime. One TMC source said they had not heard about United’s changes; another said negotiations…

Travelport TMCs Rave About Startup’s Commissions Automation

For Willy Wong, a call from Travelport’s head of Australia and New Zealand a few years ago seemed like a missed opportunity. But it developed into a happy relationship with five North America-based travel management companies.  During an interview this month, the founder of Toronto-based automation provider iFuture said that as a software developer, his…

Buyers Fret (Privately) About Airline Ticket Tour Codes

On airline tickets using corporate negotiated airfares, travel agents and booking tools typically include tour codes to identify bookings as coming from a particular travel agency, corporate TMC or airline corporate client. When these codes are wrong or missing, there may be financial ramifications or an impact on traveler benefits. Corporate travel buyers speaking during…

Airline Contracts Are Complex But Applying Them Need Not Be Inefficient, Developers Say

Travel management companies want to maximize revenues, corporate program managers want smooth servicing and no one wants debit memos. New integration between a pair of travel tech firms hopes to accomplish all of that and address some of the challenges of alternative airline distribution models. The key is using automation to overcome airline contract complexity….

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