Airlines to DoT - You Can't Count

The US airlines in general think that the US Dept of Transportation's bean counters are not that good.

A cabal of them - representing the Big 4 Network Carriers - US, UA/CO, DL, AA have filed a complaint with the DoT over the issues of the reporting of the Ancillary Revenues.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal the airlines say that the $150,000 figure for the whole industry in extra admin costs are way off what the airlines calculate will cost the average airline $1,000,000 per regulation per average airline. That would be a whopping cost. I bet that some of that is going to be charged by the GDSs!!!

I have to say whether I agree with the DoT or the airlines on the actual numbers. I can assure you that the admin costs that will be spread across the industry in additional costs will be significant. it will hit all sectors of the supply and distribution chain.

Those who argued long and hard for this as a way to put a break on the Airlines revenue aspirations may be happy. But those who thought that this was a way for the GDSs to win a battle in their war with the airlines may rue the day. The legacy GDSs have now been handed a carte blanche ability to charge the airlines an extra set of fees for compliance. And poor travel agents will be picking up much of this tab in both extra costs (through lower incentives) and for sure extra work.

As I say frequently - be careful what you wish for... you just might get it.

Cheers