...WHERE READERS RESPOND TO BBT’S ONLINE REPORTS
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LUFTHANSA GDS CHARGE THIS WHOLE EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS THE DANGER of allowing one carrier to dominate a key market. Lufthansa feels impregnable in fortress Germany, as it effectively controls the market. So much for EU competition rules, applied so stringently in other markets such as the UK. Few other airlines will feel so confident in applying charges unilaterally as they face much stiffer competition in their home market. As an example, BA faces Virgin, Easyjet and Ryanair, all with a significant share in the home market. Lufthansa Group may be suffering from its exposure to outdated work practices and trade union strength in Germany, but that doesn’t mean it should penalise its captive market in that country, and in satellite aviation markets, by imposing anti-consumer levies on distributors, who serve the market well by creating pro-competition distribution channels to the benefit of all.
IT’S PLEASING TO SEE THE INDUSTRY COME TOGETHER in this way. Okay, it’s not surprising that TMCs and GDSs are annoyed and worried by this, but reading their comments on the matter, it seems they have genuine concern for their travellers – something, it appears, Lufthansa does not have. You can be a loyal customer without having to book the way the airline wants you to. I agree that Lufthansa just wants a bigger share of what it invests a lot of money in,
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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@runwaysuk #London Mayor elections: Tessa Jowell’s support for #Heathrow expansion ‘means she can’t win’ @Independent
@StephenMangan
YES! Middle lane hogger fined. This is a great day for humanity.
http://bit.ly/1ItxXMn @TravelbizPaul
@easyJet #innovation day: pricing ‘big data’ drill-downs available on website
@BBT_online @emirates has added a ‘Hold My Fare’ feature on its website – lock in a price you see for 48hours
http://bit.ly/1Gfv0Og
@benkepes
Mark Schwab correctly identifying that frequent fliers know more about Alliance benefits than @staralliance itself #ATIS2015
@ZacGoldsmith Spot on by
@DouglasCarswell – ‘TTIP is a
corporatist scam’
but as has been pointed out, it will lead to fragmentation. It’s becoming increasingly hard to keep travellers compliant when there are moves like this made. It’s a similar story with the Marriott direct wifi offer that’s causing such discontent. It’s something I will be bringing up with my contact at Lufthansa when rate negotiations next come round.
AIRPORT EXPANSION TOO MANY FLIGHTS travelling directly over London to Heathrow and Gatwick? We need to worry about pollution and flight path safety for the future. A new airport could be better located near the sea, connected by high-speed road and rail infrastructure. Europe could not challenge this decision, as it would simply be the smartest thing to do. Under the current circumstances, Heathrow would make an ideal tourist model town and return peace to the city.
“HEATHROW WOULD MAKE AN IDEAL TOURIST MODEL TOWN”? What utter rubbish. What planet do you live on – the same one as Boris Johnson? 75,600 people work at Heathrow, with airport workers and associated industries bringing the number to over 200,000. With Schiphol’s six runways, and CDG’s and Frankfurt’s four apiece, why don’t we just ask them if there is anything else we can do to help them increase their business? I suspect, like many, once the decision has been made, we will then go through another couple of years of debating and lobbying from both sides. And in five
years’ time, after another election, we will be in the same position again.
I TOTALLY AGREE with the comment about noise pollution and, even though I don’t agree with ‘Boris Island’, something similar would surely have been a lot more viable.
BBT LINKEDIN GROUP A TRAVEL BUYER ASKS: our current air travel policy of economy under six hours and premium economy over six has been queried. Previous conversations show similar trends due to the economic downturn. However, I would be most grateful for buyers’ input, particularly in regards to when business class is permitted.
AN ESSENTIAL INQUIRY TO MAKE is around your firm’s attrition rate among its road warriors. If management says the rate is too high, then you can make a good case for a more humane cabin policy. If management is OK with the current attrition rate, then you may be justified in keeping the current cabin policy or even making it more stringent. When you discuss road warrior attrition rates, be sure to have HR’s input on the all-in cost to replace an average road warrior. Recruiting, signing bonuses, ramp-up time, lost productivity, impact on customer sales and satisfaction... it can be an eye- opening number. Consider a tiered travel policy, where you offer a nicer set of policies for road warriors, and a tighter set
for the infrequent travellers. Scott Gillespie
Managing partner, tClara BBT JULY/AUGUST 2015 85
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