Half of Corporate Travel Buyers Plan to Spend Less with Lufthansa
Half of travel buyers who currently include Lufthansa in their travel programs as a preferred carrier plan to decrease their spending with the carrier when its GDS surcharge takes effect Sept. 1, according to a poll of Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) members.
The Lufthansa Group announced the surcharge, which also applies to Austrian, Swiss and Brussels airlines, on June 2. The group said it is meant to offset the cost of distributing through channels whose bookings are processed by GDSs. The GBTA poll also showed that 51% of all respondents said they definitely or probably will not use Lufthansa as a preferred carrier if the Lufthansa Group moves forward with the fee.
-- Michele McDonald