SQ & Flight Centre Australia

[Airline Orgasm]

Hey there,

Does anyone know the gossip about the rift between SQ and Flight Centre in Australia? An email from the SQ marketing people in Australia, sent out to KrisFlyer members on 21 May 2009 suggested a "commercial impasse". I've never seen such diplomatic strong language ever used before. I'm gagging to know what happened! Any leads???

[KeithMEL]

Australia: SQ and Fright (uhh, Flight) Centre impasse

Just got this email from SQ:

As a valued KrisFlyer member, I am writing to inform you that as a result of a commercial impasse with Flight Centre, Singapore Airlines airfares might not be available for purchase through Flight Centre retail outlets.

Singapore Airlines is still committed to giving our customers great value fares. Singapore Airlines has agreements in place with other major travel agents, and our flights can be booked as per normal through all other travel agency groups, or online at singaporeair web site.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you on board again soon.

With best wishes,

Dale Woodhouse
Manager Passenger Marketing, Australia.

It seems like SQ has similar issues as many of us do with FC.

[SQflyergirl]

Call flight center lowest airfares guaranteed! What a great jingle... at least it was when i was a student in OZ

[SQ238]

Call flight center lowest airfares guaranteed! What a great jingle... at least it was when i was a student in OZ

I gave up on Flight Centre many years ago, complete con adverising in my opinion.

They advertise great deals but they never seem available when you want to travel. To me they get people in and then try and sell them a more expensive package than advertised. Back in 2004 they were advertising packages to Thailand flying TG, I went into Travel Centre with my girlfriend to book the advertised package, amazingly not available on any of our available travel dates but more expensive ones were. I was annoyed and smelt a rat so I told the girl we would travel on the first available date at the advertised price, funnily she could not give me a date.

I had not tried Travel Centre since 2000 before that as the same thing happened back then. Never again will I attempt to give them my business.

I'm glad SQ has stopped using them and would really like to know the reasons why.

Rant over.

SQ238.

[KeithMEL]

The ACCC would agree with you. I believe FC aren't allowed to advertise their fares as 'lowest price guaranteed' anymore as it's deemed to be misleading advertising.

They still do guarantee a lower price in that if you find a cheaper deal elsewhere, they will beat it. This usually entails taking $20 off the competitor's price.

Personally I'd pay $20 more for better service elsewhere. It's sad to see people double dip by getting an itinerary from another TA who might have worked hard to deliver a fantastic itinerary and a fare quote, and then put the itinerary through FC just to get the $20 off. The people who did all the work get no reward whilst FC gets the revenue for not doing anything. Totally shoddy, IMVHO.

I gave up on Flight Centre many years ago, complete con adverising in my opinion.

They advertise great deals but they never seem available when you want to travel. To me they get people in and then try and sell them a more expensive package than advertised. Back in 2004 they were advertising packages to Thailand flying TG, I went into Travel Centre with my girlfriend to book the advertised package, amazingly not available on any of our available travel dates but more expensive ones were. I was annoyed and smelt a rat so I told the girl we would travel on the first available date at the advertised price, funnily she could not give me a date.

I had not tried Travel Centre since 2000 before that as the same thing happened back then. Never again will I attempt to give them my business.

I'm glad SQ has stopped using them and would really like to know the reasons why.

Rant over.

SQ238.

[SQ238]

The ACCC would agree with you. I believe FC aren't allowed to advertise their fares as 'lowest price guaranteed' anymore as it's deemed to be misleading advertising.

They still do guarantee a lower price in that if you find a cheaper deal elsewhere, they will beat it. This usually entails taking $20 off the competitor's price.

Personally I'd pay $20 more for better service elsewhere. It's sad to see people double dip by getting an itinerary from another TA who might have worked hard to deliver a fantastic itinerary and a fare quote, and then put the itinerary through FC just to get the $20 off. The people who did all the work get no reward whilst FC gets the revenue for not doing anything. Totally shoddy, IMVHO.

KeithMel,

I totally agree, very well worded.

Because I am known to be a bit of a traveller, I am quite often asked by various friends, and friends of friends, for recommendations on travel agents etc. I always give them the same spiel as you have written above, don't ever give Flight Center your business for a small discount, stick to the small business that has done all the leg work for you.

I do my part in costing Flight Centre as much business as possible, total crooks in my eyes.

SQ238.

[lukey1977]

i disagree

I would like to strongly disagree with above comments re FC service. I travel frequently for business & pleasure and have been dealing with the same FC consultant for the past 7 years - in fact i have followed him to several different branches. I cannot speak highly enough about this particular consultant's overall standard of service. I could book my flights on SQ.com - however find FC's pricing to be competitive and am happy to pay for the service.

I contacted my consultant today - they are still able to sell SQ flights upon request. I will still continue to refer my family and friends to FC.

[KeithMEL]

lukey1977 - welcome to SQTalk.

In every organisation there's bound to be both good and bad employees. I'm not disputing that there are good FC consultants. Unfortunately I can only go by my own experiences as well as those of people I know - and they've all been, on the whole, overwhelmingly negative. I think the horror stories can be put down to the very nature of the organisation - the consultants work on an extremely low base pay and work almost entirely on commissions, and are also under lots of pressure to meet targets.

And yes with a TA, just like a solicitor, accountant or doctor - when I find a good one, I tend to stick to them. As you develop a rapport and a good commercial relationship with them, the resulting service is likely to be better. Unfortunately my long-time TA left to become a corporate TA, and so I've since mainly DIYed.

Anyway, some reliable insider info on the 'impasse' here:
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/comm...tml#post239834

[Airline Orgasm]

Thanks KeithMEL! Interesting read. I have a friend working with AA in their London Regional Office. Apparently it's common knowledge within the industry that SQ treats travel agents with disdain....and you know what? Why not???

I honestly dont care much for travel agents esp the likes of FC. Honestly, what value do they add??? They hinder the process and limit our options by displaying travel option through parameters defined by them. Theoretically, how certain are we that a fare quoted to us by a travel agents is the best possible fare/connection? How do you independently corroborate that, when they box you in with the threat that the fare will not last if you dont hold it?
I guess the bigger question is; What is the incentive for airline reservation systems like Amadeus, Sabre and Abacus to remain the exclusive tools of travel agents?
The Bible was translated from Latin to the common tongue. Perhaps it is time to further hasten the Reformation in the airline travel industry.

[trekkie]

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[Gunnar Smithsen]

Even prior to reading Keith's link to another forum, I was already guessing that it had something to do with TA commissions.

From personal experience with FC, I have found them to be rather inflexible with their old guarantee and new "find a lower price and we'll beat it" theme.

I can't even mention the words Flight Centre to my Dad - he had the worst (and a very costly) experience with FC a few years ago where flights were paid for but never materialised. I think to this day he hasn't been re-imbursed the couple of thousand dollars he had to part with in order to connect certain flights whilst en-route.

I am fortunate enough to have a very close friend work in the SQ ticketing department, and as such don't require the services of a travel agent.

[jhm]

Apparently it's common knowledge within the industry that SQ treats travel agents with disdain....and you know what? Why not???

I honestly dont care much for travel agents esp the likes of FC. Honestly, what value do they add??? They hinder the process and limit our options by displaying travel option through parameters defined by them. Theoretically, how certain are we that a fare quoted to us by a travel agents is the best possible fare/connection? How do you independently corroborate that, when they box you in with the threat that the fare will not last if you dont hold it?
I guess the bigger question is; What is the incentive for airline reservation systems like Amadeus, Sabre and Abacus to remain the exclusive tools of travel agents?

It depends what you use a TA for. A simple routing from A to B at the cheapest possible price is best done by yourself. Anything more complicated (routing and/or fares), a good TA (by which I don't mean FC or any other high street travel shop) is invaluable. I have access to Amadeus etc and know my way around Sabre enough to find simple fares/flights/hotels and book them; but a proper TA does more than that and - in my experience at least - provides a service which more than compensates for any fee payable.

[KeithMEL]

It depends what you use a TA for. A simple routing from A to B at the cheapest possible price is best done by yourself. Anything more complicated (routing and/or fares), a good TA (by which I don't mean FC or any other high street travel shop) is invaluable. I have access to Amadeus etc and know my way around Sabre enough to find simple fares/flights/hotels and book them; but a proper TA does more than that and - in my experience at least - provides a service which more than compensates for any fee payable.

+1.

Also, not everyone has the time to learn the ins and outs of the airline industry, read travel forums, or click through different websites to compare prices. TAs still do play an important role for these people, but of course TAs do also need to develop their niche and knowledge in planning an appropriate itinerary, and be more than simply booking clerks.

[trekkie]

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[KeithMEL]

Sabre is majority owned by SQ, the last i am aware.

Really? Then why aren't SQ using Sabre? AFAIK SQ currently has its own inhouse system Kriscom (or is it Krisnet), and is actually in the process of moving to Amadeus.