LUFTHANSA Group will
only accept lodge cards if
they are issued with the
name of the corporate first,
followed by the agency.
Last week, TNW reported
that airlines were raising
ADMs for tickets issued
using agency credit cards
or virtual cards (see
TNW May 30).
Andre Schulz, gm of
Lufthansa Group for
Southern Africa, told
TNW that lodge cards
were accepted by the
group; however “if the
agency’s name appears
before the company
on the card, the card
is effectively in the
agency’s name and is
then not accepted.”
Andre explained that
a lodge card must
have the name of the
company first, then the
name of the agency,
as this means the
company applied for the
card, which the agency
uses for ticket issuance.
However, Kevin Lomax,
head corporate card at
Diners Club, confirmed that
the corporate applies for
a lodge card and that the
order of the names is
merely a design element.
Agents canvassed by
TNW also reported that the
Examp.
lodge cards they held had
the name of the agency
printed first and then the
name of the corporate, who
holds the account, second.
This includes cards issued
by Diners, Amex, FNB and
Standard Bank.
Agents also pointed
out that the account still
belongs to the corporate,
and the money passes
directly from the financial
institution to the supplier.
One agent raised the
concern that this policy,
which could be followed
by other airlines, would
require all corporate lodge
cards be reissued. “I
wonder who will end up
footing the bill?” the
agent said.
TNW understands that
other airlines which are not
accepting agency cards are
still accepting lodge cards,
regardless of the order of
the names.
