Arnie Weissmann:
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12
Princess drops Puerto Vallarta
Silversea eliminates NCFs
NCL unveils cabin designs
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Richard Turen:
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www.travelweekly.com
Section 1 of 3
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
JUNE 27, 2011
2 consortia offer members plans
that include commissions on air
SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION
By Johanna Jainchill
Only days after Vacation.com revealed a program that enables its
agents to earn commission on airline tickets, Ensemble Travel Group
introduced a similar initiative for
its members.
Ensemble said that
by August its members will have free access to an air booking
engine that offers the
ability to “shop, book
and earn” by selling
up to 70 international
and domestic carriers.
“Some members
are cruise-only, and some just don’t do a
lot of air,” said Ensemble Travel Group Co-
president Libbie Rice.“This gives them ac-
cess to fares and the ability to make money
on air.”
Rice said agencies that don’t have their
own agreements will now be able to use En-
semble’s ARC number, a practice similar to
See COMMISSION on Page 95
V-com’s program.
These programs seem to indicate both a
growing willingness on the part of airlines
to partner with large travel agency groups
and the realization among consortia that
the ability to book air, and if possible make
incremental income doing so, has become a
priority among their members.
“The incremental revenue will not be huge
if you are not already a big air agency,” Rice
said. “But it comes
back to being able to
fully service your cli-
ent. It allows you to be
all-encompassing and
make sure someone
comes back to you
and you can support
them on bigger-ticket
items.”
Rice said fares would be displayed in the
booking system as net fares or as published
fares. If they are net, the agents can mark
them up; if they are published the agents
might make a commission.
As with the V-com program, commissionable fares will depend on the route and class
‘It comes back to being able
to fully service your client.
It allows you to be all-
encompassing.’
[ 2 NEW ENTRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN AGGRESSIVE WITH FEES ]
In lawsuit, Allegiant, Spirit challenge
DOT’s authority to mandate refunds
By Bill Poling
Two low-fare airlines, Allegiant and Spirit,
have challenged portions of the Transportation Department’s new batch of consumer
protection rules, asking the U.S. Court of
Appeals to rule that the DOT overstepped
its legal authority by imposing a mandatory
refund rule and other new requirements on
air carriers.
The two airlines, among the industry’s
youngest new entrants, have different busi-
ness models, but both have been particularly
aggressive in the pursuit of ancillary revenue,
offering low base fares and giving passengers
the option to buy extra services.
This year’s ranking recalls the days when the Big 3 dominated
American car manufacturing, with three dominant companies
hovering far above the rest of the pack . Follows Page 17
