Interesting - or am I reading to much into this?

[Eastwest Loco]

As I mentioned several months ago, with the reduction of QF base commissions from 9% to 7%, many of we Travel Agent leeches were looking at where we could put our passenger dollars to still pull 9%, plus in some cases the overrides offered rather than sell the rat to maintain our revenue stream.

I stated then that 2-3 months downstream, it would be interesting to see if QF reacted to a drop in the revenue stream. My little office alone has seen a $350,000.00 dropoff without significant loss in overall turnover.

What turns up this week but a Myer/David Jones etc voucher offer to most ports, offering a $20.00 to $50.0 voucher for each passenger booked on the routes mentioned.

Curious that is it not? Maybe something the shareholders should be made aware of?

Best all

EWL :sad:

[Howard Hughes]

EWL,

Just like the song says....

Woah oh, take the money an run!!

Cheers, HH.

:ok:

[Point0Five]

EWL and Howard

I have no exposure to the travel agent industry and am intrigued by your plight... could you please expand on how this travel evolution is impacting?

To be honest, I'm just purely curious. How deep does the hurt run and how is it actually occuring? Guess I should explain a bit further, I've never used a travel agent in my life and have always just booked things over the net or phone. Conversely, my parents always use travel agents... must be a generational thing! I can appreciate how you value-add to a travellers expereince, but how is this profitable to you?

[Sunfish]

At what point do these vouchers become secret commissions or assessable income?

[Buster Hyman]

You'd be lucky to find anything worth buying under $50 at DJ's & Myer!

I'd frame it Loco-Bloko. Not often you get anything out of the Rat.

[QFinsider]

Oh we did get something a lil pocket diary, value about $2.00..Mind you we were told it wasnt a Christmas present.

The Dame didn't mind splashing around on the in crowd with other people's money:E

[itchybum]

in my pissed state \i'd say you are reading much too much into it Mr Loco-coco Loco/.

Geddalife.......

:}

:E


Seriously........

[Eastwest Loco]

itchy

Have another read when you have the picture cards back in your deck, and you may see that what I entered is actually a valid comment on a previous thread regarding QF revenue streams, and the effect of commission revisions on where Agents are moving their previous QF income to maintain revenue levels.

You geddalife bucko. I am doing fine and trying to keep what I and some others in these esteemed halls consider to be of considerable impact on all of our futures in context from an angle that most would be unaware of.

Howard - the vouchers are per passenger, and the promo runs until June, so Mrs Loco will have a little fun with 40 or 50 of them!!

Point0five - We still have our QF mates we wish to take care of and they in turn take care of us. The simple fact is the general public is going to have to rely on an unlicensed Travel Agent (themselves) with few clues, and an online booking system that will not deliver the cheapest fare in most multi sector itineraries or pay fee for service for domestic bookings and also short haul such as Trans Tasman. We can live on the 7% plus override for longer haul international.

Best regards

EWL

[cunningham]

In a recent article in the Fin review it stated that British Airways have reduced commissions paid to travel agents over recent years from 10% to 0% !!!

Sign of things to come ??

[Eastwest Loco]

Seems to be cunningham

However, airlines are charging fee for service on the fares they sell through their call centres, so they have made it a level playing field, and nett remit fares can still be sold with a 9% addon and be under the published fare by quite a bit. Most agents sell 99% nett remit fares anyway.

Interestingly EK stopped issuing nett remit fares and made all of theirs published with 9% commission, and a heapof agents got up in arms at only 9%. God knows what they were adding to the nett levels.

I just really do not see the point of the reduction when 50 times the value of the commission saved is being redirected to their code share partners on the same aeroplane. This market is much bigger that the NZ market with more carriers, also much bigger than Singapore and far more "buying group" enhanced than the US market.

United dropped to 7% several years ago, and 18 months later they were back to 9% as they were ignored en masse. They now participate in overrides as well and are doing just fine.

I guess the bean counters think they know it all, just like they did at AN and TN, and PA as well.

Best all

EWL