Australia’s travel agency trade group AFTA reacted with disappointment to Qantas’ plan to slash travel agent commissions on international flight bookings.
The airline says it will cut commissions on international fares from 5% to just 1% by the middle of 2022.
Igor Kwiatkowski, Qantas’ Executive Manager, Global Sales and Distribution said the current commission structure needs revising alongside a raft of other cost-cutting measures the airline is planning.
"We know our travel agency partners have also been hit hard by Covid-19. The crisis has driven a lot of permanent change in how airlines do business and that’s clearly going to extend to agents as well," Kwiatkowski said.
"That’s why we’ve given more than twelve months’ notice and we’ll be working closely with agents as they adapt their own business models and support their recovery."
"AFTA on behalf of our members and the consumers we support is very disappointed," the Australian Federation of Travel Agents said .
Other cost-saving measure planned by Qantas includes a two-year wage freeze and the offer of voluntary redundancy offers for some international cabin crew.
