WHEN it comes to internet booking, many airlines do not see their interests as being aligned with those of travel agents. Airlines would much rather customers book flights directly through their own websites. For a start, it saves them paying a commission to an agent. It might also mean that flyers have not bothered to compare prices against their competitors, so there is less need to offer a bargain. Just as importantly, it makes it easier for carriers directly to sell add-ons, such as better seats or priority boarding, which are becoming increasingly important to their bottom lines. Still, most airlines begrudgingly accept the role of meta-search engines and online travel-agents. After all, if a lot of potential customers use them, it makes sense to put their best fares in front of as many people as possible.
Lufthansa, however, is looking to make a stand. It is going to charge an extra €16 ($18) for every ticket issued via a global distribution system (GDS)—the technology behind the booking systems that travel agents use. Amadeus, a big GDS, which Lufthansa helped to launch in 1987...Continue reading
Source :Business and finance http://ift.tt/1AMttTP
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