p12 biz feb19 17/2/10 15:18 Page 12
Business travel
Chris Gray
020 7921 8003
cgray@ttglive.com
For the latest business travel news, visit ttgbusiness.com
HRG: Budget not
‘Airlines gunning
always cheaper
BUDGET hotel chains could be more expensive
for penalty fees’
than full-service properties, just as no-frills
airlines do not always offer the best deal, accord-
Dave Richardson.
about it later. Our Ticket Changer
ing to one travel management company. AMADEUS has warned agents that system automates the process
Margaret Bowler, HRG director of global hotel airlines are employing people to and eliminates the possibility
relations, said overall UK prices were looking trawl through bookings looking of ADMs.
“very flat” for the rest of 2010, and that there for mistakes for which they can “We have 60 airlines on the
were opportunities for better rates if corporates charge a penalty fee. system including all the majors.”
offered hotel groups a bigger share of their UK & Ireland managing director Research by Amadeus indicates
business. Tim Russell (pictured) said carri- agents spend much of their
Bowler added that budget chains such as ers were trying to boost revenue by using third working day changing existing bookings,
Premier Inn could be more expensive than parties to search for errors so the airline could spending an average of 25 minutes on each.
full-service properties. “As with airlines, budget issue an Agency Debit Memo fine for breaching Amadeus has also launched Fareworld, a
is not necessarily cheapest when everything is ticketing rules. system which compares published air fares with
added up,” she said. He claimed the move had been partly fares negotiated by consolidators including JTA
“Budget chains have had to become more triggered by “abuse of fares by agents”, which and Thriftway.
flexible as they were pricing themselves out of had cost airlines a lot of money. Flights can be compared and booked on a
the market with fixed rates.” Amadeus has launched its Ticket Changer single screen, and commission on consolidated
HRG’s annual hotel survey showed UK hotel system, which automates the cancellation or fares can be adjusted to show the agent’s
rates were continuing to fall for business re-issuing of airline reservations, which it claims chosen mark-up.
travellers, and London had dropped out of the saves agents time and leads to fewer errors than “Published fares can sometimes be lower, and
top 20 most expensive cities worldwide. doing the procedure manually. full-service airlines can be cheaper than no-frills
The survey compared average prices paid Russell said: “ADMs send shudders down the when all the fees are added,” said Russell.
by its customers last year with 2008, and found spine of agency owners, as airlines can take the “We display fares reflecting the real end-to-
average prices in London were down by 5% to money out of an agent’s account and then talk end cost.”
£151.45 per night.
The city dropped to 29th in world rankings
compared with 16th in 2008. Belfast was down
20% to £86.60 and Liverpool down 15% to £86.69.
GTMC axes its
£7k joining fee
THE Guild of Travel Management Companies has
scrapped the £7,000 joining fee in a bid to attract
more business agents.
It currently has 30 members, which it says
control 80% of business travel spend in the UK.
Chief executive Anne Godfrey said: “We have
abolished our outdated and somewhat onerous
entrance requirements.”
The GTMC published its first Business Travel
Manifesto last month, based on a survey of what FLAT (THE BED, NOT THE CHAMPAGNE): Continental Airlines showcased its Business
business travellers expect of the government. First flat bed with agents from the south west at Bristol airport last week. From left:
Top demand was for a high-speed rail network, Jeni Easterbrook, Thorntons Travel; Keely James, Ian Allan Travel; Susan Cameron,
backed by 70% of the 1,250 respondents. Continental; Gareth Morris, Thorntons Travel; and Estelle Lloyd, Ian Allan Travel.
12 19.02.2010
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