Indian agents strike in protest at commission cuts
Four thousand travel agents throughout India plan to strike today in protest at "unethical practices" by airlines.
Agents have called for a ‘no ticketing day’ as a protest against non-payment of commission to them by the airlines.
Claiming that more than 90% air travellers book tickets either through a travel agent or a travel website, the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said they will not book tickets on Tuesday.
"At one point of time, we used to get 9% commission which has come down to 1% and in some case it is zero," Rajji Rai of TAAI told the Hindustan Times.
The association has also demanded that the airlines should not be allowed to charge separately for various services like serving tea, food, insurance, preferred seat, change of dates among others. They demanded all these services to be included in the ticket price.
"We are the experts, who do everything from giving the best deal to arranging visa, travel insurance and even foreign exchange. We also play the role of a consultant to the corporate world for cost-effective solutions.
"This is a silent protest and we will not force anyone to join it. But to save the trade, it is important to tell the authority that without us, the aviation industry will lose the business," Rai added.
Ian Jarrett
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 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025