Nachdem die Business Travel Coalition dazu aufgerufen hat, Ihren an die Lufthansa gerichteten Brief bezüglich des Prefered Fare Models zu unterschreiben, was 147 Travel Manager auch getan haben, hat die Lufthansa nicht lange mit der Antwort zugewartet. Die Airline fühlt sich komplett zu unrecht angegriffen und fordert die BTC dazu auf den unfairen Kampf einzustellen und keine Falschaussagen zu verbreiten. Natürlich kontert die Coalition umgehend.
The German carrier made the allegation in reply to a letter the BTC sent to it last week, signed by 147 industry figures and heavily criticising the PFP.
It called on BTC to end its campaign against the scheme.
Don Bunkenburg, the airline’s director of North American corporate sales, told BTC that he was „very concerned about your portrayal of the PFP.“
„The information that you are disseminating within the travel industry community is inaccurate in large measure and misleading.
„Your communications neglect to provide the reader with a complete and accurate picture of the PFP; the business travel community deserves better and we urge you to provide complete and accurate information to them,“ Mr Bunkenburg wrote.
In his 900-word reply, he goes on to say the PFP is available „at no additional cost“ on bookings made through Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan, on the Lufthansa website or at any of its calls centres or airport ticket counters.
A fee is only charged, Mr Bunkenburg said, if the booking is made through a GDS whose costs are disproportionately high.
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He adds later in the letter: „lf the CRS prices, such as in the case of Amadeus, are excessively high, free access to Lufthansa’s Preferred Fares is not possible.
„Correspondingly, the travel agencies – the core users of any CRS – have to make their contribution and will be assessed a Lufthansa GDS segment fee.
„Alternatively, travel agents can sell the published fare.“
Mr Bunkenburg also rejected the claim that the PFP was new and claimed that US and UK carriers had introduced similar models „to counter the growing fragmentation of fare information in various Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) and also to reduce costs.“
He concluded: „Accordingly, we are requesting you to reissue your communication to the business travel community setting the record straight by providing accurate, complete and objective information regarding the PFP and withdrawing your proposed letter-writing campaign.
„We feel that the business traveller community deserves to have all of the information before them.
„Your portrayal of the PFP does not reflect well on Lufthansa and such misleading statements are not in the best interest of your constituents and cannot be tolerated.“
Mr Kevin Mitchell, chairman of BTC, described the letter as „somewhat heavy-handed and condescending.“
He added: „Lufthansa has not likely ever experienced corporate buyers and other stakeholders standing up to them in such a unified manner, with support from around the world.
„This fight for consumer interests may go well beyond 1 February. We must draw the line here, before this ill-conceived distribution model spreads throughout Europe and around the globe.
„BTC will not give up, for its part, until there is a solution that is equitable for all distribution system participants, including the corporate buyer.“
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Daniel Grenacher für TravelBrain
