Local SAA boss seeks closer trade ties

Local SAA boss seeks closer trade ties
By admin


The new Australasia country manager of South African Airways has spoken of his desire to forge closer relationships with the trade as he reinforced the carrier’s intention not to walk away from the east coast.

Two weeks into his role at SAA, former Emirates manager Tim Clyde-Smith told Travel Today he was already plotting strategies to take the carrier forward.
Among the aims include a greater focus on corporate customers and forging closer relationship with key agents.
“I want to work a lot closer with those agency chains and groups that offer potential to us,” Clyde-Smith said. “Meeting load capacity targets is one thing, let’s say 80%, but I want to work with them to fill the remaining 20%.”
While admitting direct sales channels need to grow, “the trade performance has the greater potential in terms of growth”.
“Agents are the most important part of our distribution strategy, as you’d expect any airline to say, but they are,” Clyde-Smith said. “And we won’t ignore that. We’ll continue to work with the trade, but I want to work closer with the ones who want to work with us.”
He said the 6% base commission is not under review “at this point”.
“But I am not ruling it out,” he said.
Turning to the codeshare, Clyde-Smith said he was pleased Qantas had applied for a judicial review.
“I’m curious to see how it will be handled in the sense that an appeal against the International Air Services Commission is one that I’ve not heard of happening before,” he said. “I am curious to see how the IASC proceed.”
Irrespective of the appeal outcome, strategies will be in place he said.
“I don’t think I’d be doing my job if I waited to find out (the decision). I am playing out different scenarios and we will be ready for whatever happens.”
He declined to expand but said the carrier was “continuing to do everything we can to explore all available options.”

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]