For Immediate Release!
September 13, 2002
Travel Managers To Airlines: "Try Again."
Alexandria, Va, Sept. 12 -- Business travel managers across the country have
a message for airlines imposing new restrictions on non-refundable tickets:
"This not the way to recoup an $11 billion loss."
According to an Industry Impact Survey conducted by the Association of
Corporate Travel Executives, the majority of respondents (45 percent) will
first complain to their airline reps in an attempt to get these policies
changed -- before moving toward low-fare carriers, curtailing travel, or
seeking alternatives to travel. This represents a radical departure from the
invective which blasted the carriers a week ago.
"This survey clearly shows that ACTE members are willing to work with the
airlines -- and help them iron out airfare inequities -- before resorting to
action that may only serve to further weaken the financial base of the major
carriers," said ACTE President Cheryl Hutchinson. She pointed out that a
hefty 28 percent of survey respondents did claim to be pursuing low-cost
carriers, choosing airlines that had not adopted these polices, or seeking
travel alternatives whenever possible.
Survey respondents were nearly unanimous (97 percent) in their response that
non-refundable tickets played a crucial role in their company's travel
program, with a whopping 51 percent of tickets issued for business travel
last year falling into this category. How hard will the non-refundable ticket
restrictions impact the corporate bottom line? "Our membership reports that
the new ticketing restrictions are the equivalent of a 21 percent fare
increase," said Cheryl Hutchinson. "This couldn't come at a worse time
for
corporate America."
Though the mood of the association's U.S. travel managers is far from
optimistic, 26 percent claimed that this latest development was one of the
first missteps likely to be taken in the direction of airfare reform.
"After
dancing all around it, the time will eventually arrive when airfare reform,
and new airline cost models, will have to be addressed," said Hutchinson.
For more information, please contact:
Jack Riepe
Marketing and Communications Director
Association of Corporate Travel Executives
610-719-8396
Cell: 610-256-0124
Founded
in 1988, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is
a member-driven organisation wholly dedicated to the science of
business travel management with an international constituency. ACTE
membership totals more than 2,400, including business travel executives
in Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America
and the United States. The organisation is headquartered in Alexandria,
Va., with regional offices located in Brussels, and Singapore. ACTE's
web site is www.acte.org.
