Agents lose out again
Qantas said yesterday that it would change travel agent base commissions for tickets sold in Australia from 1 April 2006.
Qantas Head of Sales and Marketing Rob Gurney said that under the new base commission structure:
* Australian domestic, trans-Tasman and New Zealand domestic base commissions, currently one per cent, would be discontinued; and
* International base commissions would be reduced from seven per cent to five per cent.
Mr Gurney said Qantas was operating in an extremely challenging environment with fierce competition domestically and internationally, as well as continuing high fuel costs.
“The reduction in commissions is in line with global trends and with Qantas’ stated aim to reduce distribution costs.
“In some overseas markets, airlines have removed commissions entirely and travel agents have adjusted to new income models.
“Base commissions are only part of the income mix that travel agents receive from airlines and agents are increasingly moving to new remuneration models, including the collection of service fees where the customer pays the travel agent for the expert service they receive.”
Travel agents are a key part of Qantas’ distribution mix and Qantas will continue to consult closely with the Australian Federation of Travel Agents and to support the travel industry network, Mr Gurney said.
Graham Muldoon
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Suspension of all regional trains in Catalonia following two new rail accidents in Spain