AGENTS are fed up with
carriers that don’t warn
them when their clients’
flights are delayed, saying
this affects their ability to
effectively manage clients’
itineraries and deliver a
professional service.
“We are definitely
experiencing additional
problems with this,” says
Angela McLoskey, md of
Sure Dynamic Travel.
She says although clients
may be updated about
changes when the TMC has
inserted the client’s email
address in the booking,
agents often don’t know
about flight delays and
therefore can’t advise clients
and also don’t manage
connecting flights effectively.
“The GDS hasn’t been
updated so we aren’t aware.”
Angela says this often
makes the agent appear
unprofessional.
“I had a client who landed
at London Heathrow from
Dublin a few weeks ago only
to be told her connecting
flight had been delayed until
the following morning. The
first question she asked
me was whether I had been
advised of the change, which
I hadn’t.”
“Agents look like fools
when passengers phone
in to get assistance with
delayed flights, because we
have no idea it has even
happened,” says Tracy
Teichmann, manager of Sure
Adcocks Travel.
What’s more, agents
need as much lead time as
possible to be able to make
alternative arrangements or
adjust reservations so that
clients are inconvenienced
as little as possible, says
Karin van der Kaay, owner
of Harvey World Travel
Groenkloof.
Some agents believe
airlines want to have their
cake and eat it, saying they
want to deal with clients
directly but don’t want any
of the work or cost involved
when it comes to delays or
schedule changes. “I find out
about delays only from my
clients, but when it comes to
amending the ticket, airlines
direct the client back to the
agent to have it done,” says
Inge Beadle, manager of
Corporate Travel Services.
In response, airlines say
they inform clients of delays
either via email or sms.
Air France says in order
to be personally notified
by AF Connect, it invites
clients to update their
personal contact details in
their reservation file on the
airline’s website.
British Airways asks for
contact details at the time
of booking and during the
online check-in process.
The airline says it uses the
details in the booking to
send advisories, whether
these are the agent’s details
or the customer’s details.
Similary, kulula says if a
flight is booked via its trade
agents, depending on whose
details are provided during
the booking process, it will
then automatically inform the
recipient of any changes.
