Agents turn down airline transaction fee offer

Travel agents who had earlier sent samosas to airlines to help get their 5% commission back, now do not want the transaction fee offered to them by some of the airlines. 
The agents say that they want their ‘remuneration’ from the airlines and hence, some of them will not be signing any transaction fee agreement with them.

The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) said that it does not want the transaction surcharge but instead the remuneration from the airlines.  “From November 1, four airlines — Jet Airways, Air India, Kingfisher and Singapore Airlines have added transaction fee as a ticket component which will be given to us,” said Vasuki Sundaram, Chairperson, TAFI (Western India).

“In the transaction fee agreement with the airlines it unclear when exactly the airlines will pay us the transaction fee,” she says. As such the agents feel that their money will be blocked for an indefinite period.

From November 1, airlines have introduced the concept of zero commission. 
Thus, agents who were getting 5% commissions from the airlines will not get the same.  “Transaction fee has been worked keeping in view destination and class of travel,” said a statement from Air India (AI). “We will boycott the sale of tickets of these airlines and there are as many as 16 airlines,” said Sundaram.
 s_naveeta@dnaindia.net