NBTA White Paper Calls For Airlines To Change

The National Business Travel Association aviation committee today announced it released a white paper calling for changes in the relationship between major airlines and corporations, including the implementation of simpler fare structures and the distribution of all fares throughout all channels.

The white paper points to the changing attitudes of corporate travelers, now armed with Internet-culled knowledge of fare discrepancies, and airlines' "unilateral decisions that seemingly benefit only themselves" as the impetus for further change to a system that provides little incentive for buyers to honor volume-based corporate contracts.

"Traditional airline contract measurements are no longer achievable or logical for the corporation, and the traditional contract measurements are no longer valid," the committee wrote.

The paper recommended that airlines listen to their best customers, consider the impact of unilateral decision making and better communicate policy. It recommended that corporate travel managers educate their travelers on the impact of industry changes, explore the use of low-fare carriers, alternate airports and travel alternatives, and be prepared to walk away from airline agreements that no longer make sense for their companies.