ETRAVEL has launched a ‘lowcost’
ITC option called Just
the Ticket (JtT) for consultants
who, as the name suggests,
just want a ticket without any
of the back office support.
Garth Wolff, ceo of eTravel,
compares the relationship
between eTravel and JtT to
that of low-cost carrier kulula.
com and Comair. Corporate
consultants are required to
not only book travel for their
clients but also to provide
a number of back-office
functions such as invoicing,
recon, feedback, presentations
and so on. Leisure travellers
on the other hand, says Garth,
require very little, often just
needing an air ticket.
He explains that JtT is a
scaled-down version of the
ITC model that allows ITCs to
book a flight through eTravel
and do the land arrangements
and admin themselves.
Garth adds that the product
could also attract corporate
ITCs who don’t think they need
the full support of the host
company or who have lost big
clients and are looking at ways
to downsize.
“Often ITCs don’t have a
proper understanding of what
it takes to run a business
so they believe they can do
things much more cheaply on
their own. This is an option
for them. There are also lots
of people out there running a
travel company but they don’t
have an Iata licence; now they
can get tickets from us,”
he says.
Garth hopes JtT will drive
more agents to eTravel
and, once their business
has grown, inspire them to
become a full ITC.
To sign up, a consultant
needs to have at least five
years’ experience as a
travel consultant in a travel
agency with at least two
years as a senior and two
years of ticketing. There is
no cash deposit, however a
12-month contract is signed.
JtT consultants are then
charged R50 per international
transaction and R57 per
domestic transaction. eTravel
retains all commissions
through BSP, apart from
reimbursing consultants
a portion of commissions
Emirates offers agents.
JtT ITCs will also receive a
percentage of air overrides.
Lauren Jardien, md of Uwin
Iwin, the first JtT ITC to sign
up, says: “We decided to
use Just the Ticket because
we have no financial
obligation to Iata, who require
a bank guarantee, which limits
our access to cash flow.”
Previously Uwin Iwin issued
tickets as a registered Iata
agent. “Our consultants have
been trained on Just the
Ticket and the transition has
been reasonable,”
she adds.
