Originally Posted by taupo
Tcook, I am sorry to read this. I have used a couple of different TAs' over the last two years to book various different trips and fate types. None have double dipped. Prior to my discovering FT, I used to pay a TA $50 a ticket to book my award travel, that way they could stay on hold with AP.
TAs' charging fees to clients is not a problem IMO, as long as it is agreed upon up front, and the charges are fair.
I think it is very short sighted of AC to cut commissions, of course TAs' will book Westjet and other carriers that are happy to pay them.
Imagine if AC went to TAs' and offered a 9% commission on all etickets booked thru ac.com, and a fair commission for paper tickets, but a commission higher than the competitors, they would have much higher loads, and the cost would not be that much higher.
Taupo, you are missing a point here; TA's are booming and have been making more money since AC originally cut commissions a year or two ago. A friend of mine's wife owns one and she has hired new people and is making more money than ever and some of it is double dipping by he own admission; WS and others will follow AC in cutting these commissions.
One only has to look at recent fare increases we are seeing to know costs are probably rising again while planes are generally full of mostly low paying tourist traffic.
I really don't think TA's are a value added service for the airlines but if they do the complete booking(air,hotels,rental cars,etc) for the pax they are providing the pax with the value added services and therefore that's who should pay.