FEATURE: No TMC Fee? It's So 1994

Industry veterans recall the turmoil caused by the airline commission cuts that began in 1995, including the proliferation of transaction fees paid by corporate clients to travel management companies. Nine in 10 TMCs these days charge transaction fees, according to American Society of Travel Agents research. Client fees also are seen by some TMCs as a lever to pull in the event of further reductions in supplier income--perhaps from the GDSs, as the recently announced Travelport plan indicates. S