More fees? Maybe this is all you need to know about them

The Global Business Travel Association Foundation (GBTA) released a new study that it says "takes the mystery out of ancillary fees." GBTA"s "2012 Ancillary Fee Handbook, Who Charges What, When & Where," provides an overview of the various types of ancillary fees associated with air travel, car rental and hotel stays.


 "This study is a tool to demystify ancillary fees and provide travel professionals with information they need to manage this growing slice of business travel spending," said Joseph Bates, Senior Director of Research, GBTA Foundation. 


 The study categorizes virtually all the ancillary fees that business travelers can incur through airline, hotel and car rental travel.  It also provides a rating system that evaluates each fee on three essential characteristics:


   (1) How common it is for a business traveler to incur the fee?


    (2) How transparent it is to travelers and planners?


    (3) How easy it is for travel managers to track the fee once it has been incurred?


 Amongst other findings, the report also reveals the top-ten most troublesome ancillary fees which includes airline fees for soft drinks and headsets, car rental fees for tolls and late returns, and hotel related fees for internet use and parking.


 GBTA researchers found that the fees that cause the most problems for companies and travel managers are those that are least predictable, can"t be paid in advance, and are difficult to track individually. 


The full report is available exclusively to GBTA members or non-members may purchase it.


By David Wilkening

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

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