It is events season, and so far I've found it's been dominated by regulatory changes, how to attract/retain talent and changing airline distribution strategies. While the industry agrees on the action needed around the first two (some of it is just facts after all), distribution has naturally caused more debate.
Where that debate leans to depends on the entity that is organising the event and hints at where things may go moving forward.
Back in September our own Business Travel Summit Amsterdam featured a panel that reflects our balanced approach - with Lufthansa describing how its direct connect has spread in Europe, while ATPI and an ex-travel buyer voiced concerns around commercials and display.
The TMC-focused events I've attended, for the association GTMC and agent consortia Advantage Travel, reiterate these concerns but still appear to be in the dark about what some elements of it means. "We need to separate what happens in commercial vs the technology of NDC; when the technology hits the market, that's when the change will come. It will be another 2-3 years to see how content goes," said Adrian Parkes, CEO of GTMC.
Julia Lo Bue-Said of Advantage Travel agreed with an audience comment that the strategies are a "smokescreen" as nothing in display has yet to change. "The end game is NDC and personalisation but we have not yet seen that. There's a feeling of vulnerability," she said, adding that the consortia is in talks with IAG around fees.
In contrast, Concur showed no sign of concern around airline distribution at its Fusion Exchange event in London the following day. The OBT has plans to expand its branded airfare content across the next half-year across all three GDS and announced NDC deals with Lufthansa and British Airways back in May.
This isn't to say that one approach is better than another but indicates the flexibility of companies to engage and change.
Back at the Advantage Business Travel Symposium, an airline exec on my table described how a large portion of his passenger numbers are business travellers booking via TMCs, then in the same breath explained how head office want to save money and cut out the £5 per segment it pays for GDS bookings.
The TMCs on the table pushed back declaring the value they add, whether it be for duty of care, data reporting or the service they provide. Clearly those business travellers see that value too, or would book a different way.
So why can't the airline head office see the value? If, as another airline exec said, it is cost vs collaboration, why is cost winning? These strategies aren't going away.
Scott Davies, CEO of ITM believes that in the future all organisations should co-operate more ahead of change. "If we can work collaboratively we have to 1. Do/consult before changes and 2. When the change happens, then share in our own stakeholders to get the most out of it," he said. "It's important to move forward and understand where people are coming from…but not complain."