Travel Agents and Ancillaries: The Game Is On

Summary

But for airline ancillaries and cruise line onboard services, not everybody may like how agents are playing.

Ancillary services have played a bigger role in balance sheets across the travel industry in recent years. Amid a surge in baggage fees and seat upgrades, cruise line onboard services and hotel in-room extras, suppliers' relentless quest for increased revenues has made the topic of add-ons and upsells anything but ancillary. However the role that travel agencies will play in their distribution is far from certain. Many of these services are not available in travel agency booking systems, and most of these add-ons bring nothing in the way of agent compensation. And yet travel agents are booking ancillaries, and in many cases bypassing conventional methods for booking these services.

This analysis examines the extent to which travel agents are booking ancillary services, the types of services they are booking, and the most common booking methods. For airline ancillaries and cruise line onboard services, not everybody may like how agents are playing the ancillaries game.

Also available:

• The Once and Future Agent: Phocuswright's Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2009-2013 ($1,100)
• The Travel Agent Customer: Who Uses Travel Agents, Why They Use Them, and What They Buy ($350)

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