Corporate clients often elect not to book the lowest available fares due to last-minute meetings and unexpected schedule changes. This can mean having to change flights at the last minute. The higher ticket classes allow these clients to make the necessary changes to their flights without piling on additional charges in the form of penalties, ticket upgrades and re-bookings.
While aircraft seating plans may seem to consist only of economy, business and first class, within the complex revenue management systems utilised by airlines to determine how their available seats should be priced in order for them to operate each aircraft viably, many fare levels exist within each cabin of the aircraft. For example, about 14 fare levels may exist in economy class on a Johannesburg-London route.
Specific fare rules are attached to each fare level type and are based on the traveler’s ability to make date changes to the ticket; some fare types don’t incur penalties while others within the same class of travel will incur low costs or very high costs.
The same principle applies to the degree of flexibility to refund tickets – from fully refundable to varying penalties being incurred. Other restrictions for fare types may include only certain days of the week where travel is permitted or minimum and maximum stays; among others. The fare rules for each fare type on each flight reservation must be checked and explained to the customer to avoid any nasty surprises when changes need to be made or in the unforeseen event that the tickets need to be cancelled.
At the end of the day, when it comes to corporate travel accounts, a travel management company is usually responsible for ensuring that the corporate client has the flexibility required. The onus is however on you to choose a travel management company that knows this. Choose Uniglobe Gateway Travel.
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