Corporate travel patterns, demand and content sources and offerings are changing but the principles of what they want from TMCs nevertheless remain constant. Rajiv Ahluwalia, executive vice president, American Express Global Business Travel, contends that corporate clients want three things from their TMC: access to content in a single place, to see it displayed in a transparent way so that they can make comparisons, and for that content to be serviceable. “It’s simple from a traveller needs and client perspective. Our suppliers bring new things to the table – what we need to do is facilitate that. People need content parity and are looking for servicing,” says Ahluwalia. The big picture has stayed the same but just as trip profiles have changed, content and the means of accessing it has changed massively. Paul Tilstone, managing partner of consultancy Festive Road and formerly head of the UK’s travel manager body, the ITM, explains: “From the corporates’ point of view there is an increasing frustration at the lack of rollout of NDC. The TMC-GDS model is seen as the biggest source of the hold-up.” When Tilstone said that, he just may have been thinking of Qantas. American Express Global Business Travel has introduced a three per cent surcharge on Qantas tickets booked in Australia. The move comes shortly after the carrier moved some content from the GDS to its NDC channels, but the TMC said the surcharge is not NDC-related. Rather it
Our suppliers bring new things to the table – what we need to do is facilitate that. People need content parity
was to compensate for Qantas slashing its commission on its international flights booked in Australia from five per cent to one per cent in July 2022. “In recent times Qantas, Australia’s largest airline, has spoken publicly about changes to its economic partnership model with travel management companies. These changes result in Qantas shifting the cost to service its bookings to TMCs like Amex GBT,” said the TMC in a statement. At the time of Qantas’ announcement in May 2021 the airline pointed out that the fee and remuneration structure needed to be updated. “It is expected this change will likely
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SPRING 2023 | businesstravelnewseurope.com
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