Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) has decided to continue protest against the unilateral decision of British Airways. This was announced in a press conference held on Thursday. Earlier, the travel agents had planned to come out with a procession and protest against the British Airways, which reduced their commission, but due to section 144 in Sindh, they decided to hold a press conference.
Chairman TAAP Mohammad Kalamuddin said that their agencies' commission should be restored to 9 percent.
Airlines all over the world had adopted cost cutting measures to survive in the cut-throat competition and significantly low travelling in the last four years. Since the incident of 9/11 travelling is on decline, especially those belong to developed world and travellers have taken many precautionary measures and avoid travelling in trouble areas and countries. This trend threatened future of many airlines and some already vanished from the business.
However, travel agencies said that the 9 percent commission was quite reasonable and affordable for British Airways. The TAAP chairman said that the British Airways should restore their commission otherwise they would continue to boycott the business of the airline.
The TAAP has returned all the ticket stocks of British Airways (BA) held by its members throughout Pakistan in view of its boycott following reduction of commission from nine to seven percent on the sale of tickets.
TAAP has further informed the secretary, Agency Investigation Panel 6 (AIP-6) of International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Pakistan that from December 16 TAAP has withdrawn bank guarantee coverage of the British Airways.
In its letter TAAP said that in the extraordinary regional general body meetings held in zones 'A' and 'B', it was unanimously resolved that as a consequence of BA, Pakistan decision to reduce the agency commission, all TAAP members would boycott British Airways in all respects and TAAP would drop the name of BA from December 16, 2004 from its bank guarantee provided to AIP-6 in Pakistan. TAAP will not be responsible for settlement of any default claim of BA in any manner whatsoever.