Deliver Travel Agents memos about new products or itineraries & they’ll be keen to learn more, slap them with an agency debit memo (ADM) & you can almost feel their anxiety levels rising.
That’s because ADMs are like the Voldemort of the travel industry – there’s a common dislike for them, they use confusing language to attain immortality, and they’re rarely ever mentioned publically.
For those yet to encounter an ADM (must be new, welcome!), they’re airline notices/fines issued to Travel Agents when they attempt to correct a booking error, update a client’s details or fail to comply with air ticket rules.
To an outsider, these would be seen as reasonable charges, but they’re often deemed as unfair by industry professionals because travellers aren’t slapped with the same fines when they make an error booking directly with an airline. As a result, Agents are either forced to take the financial hit or be less competitive by passing the charge onto their clients.
While TravelManagers’ Michael Gazal can understand why ADMs exist, he believes airlines could help Agents reduce the number they receive by simplifying their rules.
The General Manager explained to KARRYON that currently, airline rules can be quite ambiguous, leaving room for error and eventual fines.
“An agent has to know everything about every airfare which makes their job difficult. If airlines simplified the rules, there would be less mistakes.”
Michael Gazal, TravelManagers General Manager
Michael continued, saying airline rules should be easy to understand and Agents should be provided with transparent information on how to avoid ADMs, which would save both parties time and money.
Without clearer airline rules, Michael says consultants are spending up to four weeks disputing complex ADMs and spending a considerable amount of money on resources.
TravelManagers’ Head Honcho is also keen to see what solution Amadeus delivers in reducing ADMs via the NDC (New Distribution Capability), particularly for fines on re-issued tickets, which were first implemented during a pre-digital world to cover the cost of re-printing a physical copy. In today’s e-ticket era, they’re considered unfair and outdated.
” The airline and GDS need to work together for a solution on this. Surely there is a way to price a fare accurately so these issues don’t occur.”
Michael Gazal, TravelManagers General Manager
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