BA erodes role of travel agents
British Airways is making it easier for travellers to bypass travel agents by enabling passengers to manage their own travel plans online. A new enhancement to the airline’s BA.com website called Manage My Booking gives consumers the ability to take over from traditional agents. BA says the system lets customers “manage their travel plans at every stage of their journey from the comfort of their own computer”. The development emerged as BA’s chief financial officer John Rishton was reported as saying the airline warned that costs could rise by up to £400 million this financial year. The Manage My Booking facility creates unique web pages for passengers who can then make seat requests and order special meals once they have made a booking. The system also allows passengers to check their travel plans, email itineraries, enter their Advanced Passenger Information details before flying to the US, check-in for their flight, look at arrivals and departures information and book hotels, car hire and insurance. They can also add their Executive Club membership number. A further upgrading of the system later in the year will mean that passengers can change bookings, upgrade classes and refund their booking online. BA’s head of e-commerce Simon Parks-Smith said: “We know that there can be many months between making a booking and actually flying. During that time customers often have questions, requests or want to make changes and until now they have had to do that on the telephone or at a travel agency. “The Manage My Booking system will give customers far greater control of how they wish to look after their own travel plans and is a real step forward for the airline industry.” Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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