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01 Jan 08

I negotiate technology deals for a living. But of late I have diversified into travel negotiations. With hotels and car services in India. Because the savings are big enough to pay for 2-3 more client staff going on the trips. I nickel and dime and make sure hotel rates include breakfast, wifi, airport transfers; car service include plenty of hours and mileage.

And I hate it. Because I know no matter what I do, an average Indian off the street would get another 40 to 50% off. Even the local airlines with their official tariffs charge fares bought in foreign currency a premium. Can you imagine the lawsuits in the US if our hotels and airlines charged more based on national origin? But it continues unabated in India.

But past couple of months its been interesting to look how non- IATA travel agents have been growing and volume of travel e-commerce transactions is consituted by them. With advent of low cost airlines and their decision not to be part of any GDS (code of conduct for all low cost airlines ask them to do so) its become easier for agents to just register with them directly by depositing small cash amount of 25,000 INR and get discounts directly. As india does not have large number of airlines and travel agents based on their location and depending/selling one airline more than others. Its interesting to see how GDS has been bypassed completely.

Join a good Travel Agency in your area and learn how it works. You need to know fare calculations, Reservation systems like Galileo and Abacus, how to issue tickets, fare rules and type of fares and classes, How Airlines work, how to make itineraries and very important, how to give services to clients. After a good experience you can start your own Travel Agency.

Fair enough dont refund money collected under your own head but would like to know what is the procedure to get tax back on congestion fuel etc which was not used especially in the case where passenger did cancel his/her air tickets lets say 72 hours before the flight. As far as my sources claim the tax never reach government coffers.

22 Jul 07