FLIGHT Centre Travel Group,
Amex and HRG have entered
into an agreement with IAG
(International Airlines Group), which
owns British Airways and Iberia, that
exempts them from the airline’s
surcharge for bookings made on the
GDS, TNW understands.
TNW also understands that
this means that the agencies, all
of whom use Amadeus, will be
able to book tickets on the GDS
without paying the new £8 (R150)
surcharge per sector on bookings.
The agreements take effect from
November 1, which is also when the
surcharge will be implemented on
other agents booking on the GDS.
Amadeus Southern Africa GM
Andy Hedley, says that Amadeus is
currently working with BA and Iberia
to facilitate the technology needed
for Travel Agents to book through
the NDC. This technology will allow
selected travel agents and TMCs
who have bilateral agreements with
airlines in place to access nonsurcharge
fares through Amadeus.
Andy emphasises that travel agents
will only be able to
avoid British Airways’
and Iberia’s surcharge
per ‘fare component’ on
GDS bookings, which will
be implemented from
November 1, if they have an
agreement with the airlines
in place.
However, it appears
the relationship could lie
elsewhere. HRG coo Bill
Brindle is quoted in The
Beat saying: “Effectively,
that’s British Airways
reaching a relationship
with Amadeus.” He added
that HRG “worked with
Amadeus on that, as well,
and so I have a relationship
with British Airways; British
Airways has a relationship
with Amadeus; I have a
relationship with Amadeus;
and we have a different
structure.”
Amadeus is currently
the only GDS where
agreements are in place to
allow agents to avoid the
surcharge. The agencies
that have signed the
agreement will not earn the
per segment incentive on
the GDS.
BA global head of sales
Stephen Humphreys said of
the Amex agreement: “We
are pleased to have agreed
[to] a model for bookings to
be made through existing
platforms without any
additional charge.”
When TNW approached
British Airways for clarity on
the agreements, BA said
it would not comment on
commercial agreements.
It said: “Both airlines will
apply a charge of £8 per
fare component to any
bookings which are not
made using an NDC based
connection, or through
other low-cost channels,
such as their websites,
airline sales offices and call
centres.”
Amadeus has been
granted IATA NDC level
3 certification as an IT
Provider (the highest
certification for an IT
provider) with both the
Altea (a new NDC solution)
and the New Skies PSS.
Amadeus has a level 1
certification in its GDS
business and expects to
become level 3 certified as
an aggregator next year
