AIRLINES will increasingly look to use Internet technology as a means to distribute their product, according to Virgin Atlantic.
The carrier’s general manager global distribution Charlie McKee told delegates at the Chartered Institute of Marketing Travel Industry Group meeting: “As the distribution field is whittled down to two or three main global distribution suppliers, the booking fees they are charging has gone up and up.
“A booking on a GDS for a simple fare from London to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris currently costs the airline £5.50.It is not surprising that airlines are looking to cut their distribution costs.
“The Internet and intranets will breed a new lease of distribution life for the travel industry, but that is not to say the the Internet is just about an airline taking bookings directly.
“It is an ideal environment for a third-party agency to make a living.”