The cost of access
With procurement now ruling more and more travel budgets, the bottom line has assumed an even greater importance.
Figures released by BTI UK this week (see out News story BTI UK clients pick lowest fare of the day) confirm this point.
They show that more than half of BTI UK's clients want their travellers to use the lowest fare of the day and that half want their travellers to use low cost carriers.
To find the lowest fare of the day, agents or whoever is doing the booking needs ready access to a variety of channels including airline website, airline portals, GDS fares, negotiated fares and the agents' own negotiated rates.
Each avenue involves a different channel and a different cost which can vary quite significantly. Some come loaded with booking fees or GDS fees, others do not. There is also a time factor involved. Some routes are much quicker and therefore more expensive than others.
But how much does all this cost?
Cost to corporates by sales channel for a $500 air ticket
