In April, Air France-KLM will begin charging an 11 euro fee
on global distribution bookings, becoming the last of the Big Three European
carriers to introduce such a charge, executives said during an earnings call.
At the beginning of next year, the carrier expects to launch
an interface based on the International Air Transport Association's New Distribution
Capability standards; as with similar fees introduced by Lufthansa
and then British
Airways and Iberia, the fee will not apply to agencies or corporations that
have NDC connections to Air France-KLM. The carrier also plans to release an
agency online booking portal as another way to book without paying a surcharge.
The fee "covers the cost difference created by the GDS
model compared with corresponding costs of Air France-KLM direct sales,"
the carrier said in its earnings presentation.
Loyalty Program
Update
Also on April 1, Air France-KLM plans to introduce a
"complete reengineering" of its Flying Blue loyalty program, which will
include "a clearer earning scheme" and more flights and amenities on
which members can spend miles.
Q3 Earnings
During the third quarter, Air France-KLM passenger revenue
rose 4.4 percent year over year to 5.7 billion euros. Long-haul premium class unit
revenue increased 8.3 percent, and long-haul economy class revenue was up 3.1
percent. Revenue growth on routes to Asia and Latin America drove much of those
increases, according to the carrier. Air France-KLM traffic rose 3.9 percent
year over year in the quarter, and capacity rose 1.9 percent. Load factor
increased 1.7 percentage points to 89.2 percent. Net income for the third
quarter was 552 million euros, up 1.5 percent year over year.
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Air France-KLM Q2 earnings