AGENTS say airlines do
not care about the trade
and their clients. Their
biggest gripe is airlines’ inability
to personally answer agents’
queries, while airlines say their
number-one annoyance with
agents is their inattention to
fare rules.
In a survey on eTNW last
week, 99% of agents said
airlines needed to care more
about their passengers and the
trade. “Airlines don’t respect
travel agents enough. We were
their bread and butter before
the Internet,” one agent said.
Agents’ top five gripes are:
1. Being directed to an
international call centre or
website for assistance;
2. Airlines overbooking flights
and bumping off passengers;
3. Being kept on-hold for trade
support;
4. Not earning commission for
all their hard work; and
5. Spending time searching
through reams of information
on an airline’s website for
answers.
Other gripes included
understanding complicated
fare rules, never-ending ADMs
and the lack of communication
regarding strikes, policy
and schedule changes, and
refunds.
The survey asked agents how
helpful airlines’ trade support
desk was when assisting them
with a query and 47% said
sometimes the trade support
desk was helpful but they
had to call back to get more
information. Agents say airlines
could improve on training their
trade support to be better
equipped to handle queries.
“Having someone at trade
support who is knowledgeable
and helpful makes a world of
difference,” said one agent.
Airlines’ websites prove
inefficient in giving agents the
information they need to make
bookings. 71% of agents said
that although the websites
were useful, they spent too
much time navigating reams of
information for an answer. Only
3% said the sites had all the
information they needed and
were easy to navigate.
Airlines have their say
Meanwhile airlines have
significant gripes about agents.
TNW asked five online airlines
to rank their top bugbears with
agents.
1. Agents needed to read
airlines’ fare rules, said
100% of the airlines
questioned. Instead they
complain about clearly
stipulated penalties and ask
airline representatives for
confirmation on fare rules
easily sourced from the GDS.
2. Agents expect waivers and
favours, not acknowledging
that these come at a cost
to the airline. “Often agents
book the wrong dates or
names and expect the
airline to waive fees. These
fees cannot just be waived
otherwise agents would be
able to do as they please
without repercussion.”
3. Agents must remember
to check automated
messages in their bookings
pertaining to ticket time
limits (TTLs) said 60% of
airlines questioned. “Airlines
cannot extend TTLs as they
are generated based on
booking details. If agents
advise passengers of the
implications of not paying on
time, then they can advise
them with ease why there is
a difference in price when
the time comes.”
4. Agents must ensure they
insert their passengers’
correct contact details in
reservations to ensure
airlines are able to
communicate delays,
changes to flight status, etc,
say airlines.
Tying for fifth place were:
agents querying technical
problems in a booking with
the airline rather than their
GDS Helpdesk; agents asking
airlines for assistance with
tasks such as visa approvals
(which are completely out of
the airlines’ hands) and seating
(which airlines say agents
can handle themselves) and
agents failing to advise their
passengers of the ticket rules,
visa requirements, customs’
prohibited items, etc
