Travel agents in Zambia have complained about the zero commission which was initiated by British Airways (BA) and is due to take effect on September 1, 2006.

Federation of Southern African Travel Agents (FESATA) president Patrick Mwale was cited by Wednesday's The Post as saying the implementation of the zero commission to travel agents by BA will not work well in Zambia.

Airlines usually give between five and nine percent commission to travel agents on ticket sales, and Mwale said the move to zero- rate would not only dampen the morale of the industry but also have an adverse effect on ticket sales.

"It won't work well in Zambia because it will be extremely expensive for a passenger to get a ticket with all the added costs, " Mwale said.

"This practice hasn't really worked well for Africa, Asia or Europe," he added.

Mwale explained that the travel agencies would have to charge some added costs on the tickets to be able to carry out business normally.

But a BA spokesman said in a statement issued earlier that the changes to the agencies' remuneration have been prompted by the worldwide industry trends and the global economic climate.

Travel Agents Association of Zambia (TAAZ) president Dorothy Mulwila expressed concern at the decision to remove commissions. He said TAAZ members were considering adding an administrative charge for administering air tickets.

"We are not refusing to go zero commission at all, but what we are requesting our principals and partners in trade is that this change needs careful planning," said Mulwila.

Source: Xinhua