Differential pricing to lift ticket sales through airline websites

Mumbai: Civil aviation secretary K N Srivastava’s order on the transaction fee allowing differential pricing might increase ticket sales through airline websites. This will also help airlines reduce sales and distribution expenses.
According to the order, airlines can offer different fares for those who purchase tickets on its website and those booking from agents. This implies passengers buying tickets from agents will have to pay a slightly higher fare, which includes commission or transaction fee. Differential pricing would encourage people to book tickets from airline websites, according to industry sources.
About 80 per cent of airline tickets sold in India are through travel agents and online portals. The rest is sold through airline websites and booking offices. At present, there is hardly any difference between the fares on airline’s website, online portals and global distribution systems used by agents to book tickets.
A Jet Airways spokesperson said the airline was examining the civil aviation secretary's order. No other airline has responded to email queries on the issue.
Read News In full 26/09/13 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard