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Posted Jan 11, 2010
Travelport does not disclose the details of our agreements with customers and partners as they are confidential, but we nevertheless feel compelled to write to set the record straight regarding Timothy O'Neil-Dunne’s blog post (20 December 2009) alluding to the negotiations and subsequent long-term, global full content agreement between Travelport and British Airways. On this subject, Mr. O'Neil-Dunne has stated several factual inaccuracies in his post and overall, has made an unfair and misleading characterization of our agreement.
Posted Oct 16, 2009
Consultant Timothy O'Neil-Dunne wrote two letters in response to recent coverage.
Posted Oct 7, 2009
Regarding airline unbundling, I predict that in a few years, maybe after I am gone, a smart airline excutive will look at a typical branding output and say to his staff, "We need to tell our customers that we think charging for essentials of a comfortable trip should be included. Henceforth, jetBlue will tell the world that all things comfortable to travelers are included in one price," and all airlines will get in line to follow suit.
Posted Oct 5, 2009
American Express executive Charles Petruccelli wrote to The Beat in response to feedback on "Petruccelli Attempts To 'Provoke The Status Quo,' Advocates Outsourced Travel Mgmt.," published Sept. 25.
"When I addressed The Beat Live conference recently, one of my objectives was to get our industry to start challenging the status quo. I'm glad to see a debate emerge around the evolving role of the travel manager. But if we're going to have a healthy debate, it's important to define the terms--so I'd like to set the record straight about my position on the topic of travel management outsourcing.
Posted Oct 1, 2009
[UPDATE: Petruccelli wrote a letter to "set the record straight." Find it here.]
This letter is in response to " Petruccelli Attempts To 'Provoke The Status Quo,' Advocates Outsourced Travel Mgmt." published Sept. 25.
Posted Oct 1, 2009
In response to " Would Tech Fee Ease Distribution Friction?" published Sept. 21.
"There are a number of points here, I would love to tackle the issue of the unbundling of the ticket and the issue of what charges are in effect a fare increase--but let's let that one go for now. I would like to address the idea of a technology fee (TF). Good thing or bad thing?
Posted Sept 25, 2009
Regarding the discussion about travel management companies inside The Beat community during the past few weeks, it seems that there is an elephant in the room that no one is willing to speak of or tackle. That is the relationship between the global distribution systems and the kickback segment fees. This is disrupting the natural flow of the way that corporations normally handle their suppliers. Perhaps we are focusing too much on the trees and not enough on the forest? What really does make travel so special? Is it really that different from any other good or service a corporation acquires?
Posted Sept 25, 2009
Two readers responded to last week's GUEST column by Doug Weeks regarding travel management company globalization, which itself was in response to feature in The Beat on the role of TMCs ...
Posted Jun 29, 2009
Some days, though they are few, I am actually able to recall the lessons from school. In reading the June 26 article by The Eastman Group I am brought back to the days of my science labs. One of my instructors was notorious for saying in a loud and booming voice, as if volume equated knowledge, "Always check your assumptions!"
In his article Mr. Eastman contends that the recent actions of United Airlines to require some TMCs to absorb the merchant fees for the sale of airline tickets is nothing more than the long march to the inevitable commoditization of airline tickets. In explaining his rationale he utilizes a metaphor of strawberries plucked from the field and then sold up the value chain, each time incurring further opportunities to increase the price and value. His ultimate conclusion is that as airline tickets are now commodities then this is the only sensible outcome for "if strawberry farmers don't pay the credit card charges absorbed by your local grocery store as a cost of bringing the strawberry to the buyer; why should airlines pay those charges?"
Posted Jun 26, 2009
I read with interest Richard Eastman's letter about United Airlines' recent move to pass the cost of selling their inventory onto the agency community, but have to disagree with the logic of his strawberry analogy. Richard asks: "If strawberry farmers don't pay the credit card charges absorbed by your local grocery store as a cost of bringing the strawberry to the buyer, why should airlines pay those charges?"
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