SMALLER business travel agents are being warned they will have to start charging fees to clients following British Airways’ decision to axe commission from January 2001.
London-based Travel Alliance chairman Jim Tillman said: “I’m very open minded and I don’t necessarily think this is the end of the travel agent. At the moment 100% of our work is on commission, but we will have to switch to fees.”
Portman Travel managing director Graham Flack, who is also Guild of Business Travel Agents treasurer, said:”My advice to agents is that if you are not fee based, get fee based.
“Largely speaking it doesn’t matter what BA does with commissions if you are fee based.
“Other airlines will follow suit. I would say to other airlines if they are going to change the way they pay agents, give us as much notice as possible.”
Richard Furness, managing director of business travel agency MSW Group, said:”This is a opportunity for other airlines to annihilate BA by showing how important agents are to them. This is their chance to knock BA off its pedestal.”