Report by Lydia Wilson
British Airways’ corporate frequent-flyer
programme onBusiness has come under fire from agents who are worried the
carrier will lure clients away by contacting them direct.
The
airline introduced the scheme – which requires users to complete an application
with their contact details – six months ago to reward regular users, but
business travel agents are angry that they have to hand over details of hard-won
client accounts.
Roger
Pigg, senior business salesman at PBC Executive Travel in Surrey, called the
enrolment form a “direct-sell attempt to cream off our clients”, while Garry
Robinson, travel manager at Mike Burton Travel in Gloucester, said it made a
direct client approach “much easier” for BA.
A
BA spokeswoman denied there was any agenda to use onBusiness to approach agents’
clients direct, and said the airline only contacted people who gave their consent
to do so.