Travel agents hurting over being bypassed by PAL

TRAVEL agents slammed Philippine Airlines’ cheap fares yesterday, saying those threatened an industry already reeling from a slowdown in travel as a result of the economic crisis and the swine flu that has spread from Mexico to other countries.

Eleanor White, president of the American Society of Travel Agents Philippines, said the group’s members had lost 25 to 30 percent of their business since mid-2008 because of the global economic crisis and cheap fares.

Ma. Paz Alberto, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, said Philippine Airlines’ online booking excluded travel agencies that accounted for up to 85 percent of the airline’s business.

But the airline said its recent “Real Deal” promo was meant to reward loyal customers and to encourage travel in the coming lean months.

The Internet booking promo that it launched on April 27 and 28 offered limited seats during a limited two-day period, the airline said in a statement.

“The deal was designed specifically to allow PAL’s loyal clients to book their international and regional flights at discounted rates using the airline’s Internet booking facility,” the airline said.

The promo offered very low fares such as $38 for Taipei, $58 for Hong Kong or Macau, $78 for Bangkok, Singapore or Saigon, $318 for Sydney or Melbourne, and $418 for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas or Vancouver.

Travel agents said at least three international carriers planned to equal Philippine Airlines’ low fares so they would not be priced out of the market, but did not name them.

They said they were not questioning the low fares being offered because those benefited the public, but they should have been included in the promo.

“PAL should have brought us into the partnership for these promotions,” said Sylvia Sangco, president of the Philippine Maritime Travel Agencies Association.

“We are willing to charge less for our services, but they should inform us early on. It undermines our credibility that we didn’t know about PAL’s promo until we read it in the papers, and we are supposed to be their partners.” –Elaine Ramos Alanguilan, Manila Standard Today