Customers booking their British Airways and Iberia flights through Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) will benefit from a multi-year distribution deal that eliminates a booking surcharge that is currently levied on these airlines’ tickets.
FCTG, including its flagship global corporate travel division FCM Travel Solutions, has reached a multi-year agreement with British Airways and Iberia, effective 1 November 2017, meaning customers in South Africa and abroad will be exempt from the airlines’ new £8 (R150) surcharge per sector on bookings made through travel agencies.
Passengers flying British Airways between Johannesburg and London will enjoy a saving of £16 (R300) on their return trip, while the surcharge on a return ticket from Cape Town to New York on British Airways could save as much £32 (R600). The same would apply on flights between Johannesburg and Madrid – a saving of £8 (R150) would apply for each segment flown if the tickets are booked through FCTG.
The far-reaching agreement also means that FCTG will work closely with British Airways and Iberia on developing the future roadmap of New Distribution Capability (NDC), which allows airlines to change the way in which they sell their ancillary products, e.g. seats with additional legroom, lounge access, meals, etc.
Sue Garrett, FCTG South Africa GM Product & Marketing, commented: “Flight Centre Travel Group fully supports any technological advancements that improve the customer experience, including IATA’s New Distribution Capability.
“As such we have been working closely with British Airways, Iberia and our technology partners since 2016 on developing new ways to integrate airline content into our existing booking platforms.”
Ian Luck, British Airways’ Head of Distribution, said: “Flight Centre and FCM are significant partners for us in a number of markets across business and leisure segments. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the group and look forward to seeing our NDC content being utilised and shaped for the benefit of customers.”
As a leading global TMC, FCM Travel Solutions will continue to work closely with its travel and technology partners to develop and invest in the future roadmap of airline distribution, explained Euan McNeil, FCM Travel Solutions GM.
“Our approach has always been to flex with industry developments and the evolving needs of our clients. The ultimate goal is to ensure FCM delivers the widest, most-relevant choice of travel content to our clients whilst maximising cost savings and personalising the booking experience.”
