Travel agents strike kicks off

Mumbai, Aug 14 (UNI) Travel agents across the country shut down their operations today to protest against the decision of the Airlines in the country of not extending the five per cent commission to them up to April next year.

Over 50,000 travel agents, who generally issue two lakh air tickets per day, have participated in the strike.

Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Secretary General Shubhada Joshi said the zero per cent commission decision of airlines will affect the consumers, as they will have to compensate for the income of the travel agents.

Meanwhile, the representatives of TAAI and other two other travel agents organisations are currently holding talks with the airlines to find out a solution over impasse.

They are demanding that the five per cent commission should be extended till April next year and include transaction fee along with the fare then onwards. This would avoid confusion in the mind of air travellers that they were being burdened additionally.

Travel agents account for more than 95 per cent of the ticketing of airlines across the country with a monthly turnover estimated at around Rs 2,400 crore.

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