Corporate travel is about to get harder: lower fares to be removed from legacy GDS
May 29, 2023, 11:10 am
#167
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,453
I hope this gets resolved soon. For the third time in a month, I had to book on a carrier other than AA and pay a fare higher than AA sells on their own website, just because the lowest AA fare wasn't available through our corporate travel agency (BCD).
Here I am, a willing customer, happy to pay a fare equivalent to what a competitor is charging, but AA is not interested in my business because I am booking through an agent. If this keeps happening, I may need to revisit my loyalty strategy - there is no point maintaining elite status on an airline I can't fly.. AA, are you paying attention?
Here I am, a willing customer, happy to pay a fare equivalent to what a competitor is charging, but AA is not interested in my business because I am booking through an agent. If this keeps happening, I may need to revisit my loyalty strategy - there is no point maintaining elite status on an airline I can't fly.. AA, are you paying attention?
May 29, 2023, 12:20 pm
#168
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
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Posts: 3,265
We also use BCD, and I still haven't seen any change as a result of this. AA fares are still the same as if not lower than other carriers on most every route I fly. Maybe it's because I'm typically booking 3-7 days out?
May 29, 2023, 12:39 pm
#169
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,453
It is definitely hit and miss. Some fares are identical to the AA site while others are $100-$200+ higher. I haven’t figured out the pattern but it seems like the lowest fares get pruned. Perhaps booking that close in the lowest fares are already gone anyway?
May 29, 2023, 12:41 pm
#170
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
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That's what I'm thinking -- or the lower fares are no longer applicable due to advance purchase requirements.
May 29, 2023, 4:34 pm
#171
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,723
I hope this gets resolved soon. For the third time in a month, I had to book on a carrier other than AA and pay a fare higher than AA sells on their own website, just because the lowest AA fare wasn't available through our corporate travel agency (BCD).
Here I am, a willing customer, happy to pay a fare equivalent to what a competitor is charging, but AA is not interested in my business because I am booking through an agent. If this keeps happening, I may need to revisit my loyalty strategy - there is no point maintaining elite status on an airline I can't fly.. AA, are you paying attention?
Here I am, a willing customer, happy to pay a fare equivalent to what a competitor is charging, but AA is not interested in my business because I am booking through an agent. If this keeps happening, I may need to revisit my loyalty strategy - there is no point maintaining elite status on an airline I can't fly.. AA, are you paying attention?
May 30, 2023, 7:29 am
#172
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,453
Well… maybe. I think it is an open question whose “fault” this situation is and who should be addressing. But AA is clearly losing business because of it, which I would think they would be concerned about.
May 30, 2023, 7:55 am
#173
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,723
From what seems to have been mentioned, it seems that AA has informed agencied in advance of the change - it isn't AA's fault where agencies have chosen not to play along. I would expect that AA is monitoring sales from agencies and seeing any changes
May 30, 2023, 7:57 am
#174
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Maybe, maybe not. I have yet to see an empty AA plane since this went into effect, so perhaps the business is being made up by others booking tickets? It's really hard for any of us to tell without seeing internal data.
May 31, 2023, 6:08 am
#175
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The USPS declared they will only start delivering my mail to a box one mile from my house. I guess that's OK since they informed me in advance.
May 31, 2023, 6:16 am
#176
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Posts: 3,265
No one here really knows. Even if this were true, the lower costs of distribution might offset this. Or, those CTAs with the necessary capability (they do exist) are selling more tickets on AA as a result. We're all guessing. (What is BoH?)
May 31, 2023, 6:29 am
#177
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Mr. BoH is the person up thread who isn't buying AA tickets because the lowest fares don't show up via BCD.
May 31, 2023, 6:38 am
#178
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May 31, 2023, 6:41 am
#179
Join Date: Apr 2011
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Posts: 1,453
I guess that is possible. But it feels like the long term equilibrium has to be either the TAs adopting their tools to show all AA fares, or AA pulling the plug on this and going back to the old way. It's hard for me to imagine a sustainable world in which every other airline has their lowest fares buyable through travel agencies but AA doesn't.
May 31, 2023, 6:59 am
#180
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