What sort of pieces in aircraft Charter of TO

Professionals call the seats reserved for tourists by regular companies 'aircraft funds. " These are the less remunerative seats but that contribute to good filling. "Any empty seat in an aircraft that takes off is an invendu and a loss dry for the company", said Henri Peyrelongue, Director of Revenue Management Pricing (RMP) of Air France, explaining that one of the characteristics of the air product is that it is not stored but perishable. Tourism passengers are therefore a useful complement to business travellers, in summer, the flow of the latter decreased on many routes at the time where the number of the first increases. In addition, this customer is part of a complete string, travel from time to time being tourists and vice versa.

Special fee schedule

"The seat for the packages in the brochure, on Internet and groups represent only 10 of the activity on the French market." "This is not the heart of activity of the company which first seeks the best possible recipe with customer business", said William Pirault, responsible for groups and sales tourism market France of the national company where business passengers buy 40 of the tickets but generate 60 of the turnover. Service account in France 200 people including 140 Paris to manage seats sold to tour operators (TO) in four ways. The more mundane approach is that of rates "TO individual" who represent half of the sales in this market segment. As soon as a travel agency has a license and publishes a paper brochure or electronic, it can claim a special tariff grid through the GDS ("global distribution systems") or the Air France reservation service. These tariffs on 80 of the lines of the company are granted preferred method as long as there is availability.

They are however different grids negotiated for business travellers, as the needs of these two categories of customers are very different. The first perform short trips, sometimes in class Affairs, and tickets are paid for by businesses who want to have great flexibility of use. However, tourists who buy in a TO regulate themselves their travel, are more price conscious and accept the constraints imposed by the companies (minima and maxima of use).

The second form of sale to tour is the batching (20 of the total). These stocks of seats are awarded to a limited number of TO (300 in Air France, knowing that 20 to absorb 90) who perform their claim three hundred days before the departure of their clients. Each folder is examined by the RMP of Air France analysis history, such as requests for previous years and the quantities actually sold. The response is accompanied by a subtle system of levels of surrender of unsold seats. The TO should provide a first estimate of sales ninety days prior to departure, due to which it may reconvey toll part of the seats. Fifty-six days before the departure, the company gets one-quarter of the places without assigned names. The next deadline comes twenty-one days prior to departure, TO being forced to make all seats not allocated and to commit financially to 80 of the remaining seats. Commitment takes the form of a penalty of 30 of the unused seats.

The third form of the TO retail is the technique of blocks-seats (15 of the total) which made tariffs may be best but more financial commitment. What sort of pieces in aircraft Charter of TO. There is only a dozen tour operators able to take the financial risk in France. They negotiate with the company a period (on average 100 days prior to departure) and a commitment to achievement rate (for example 80 of the requested seats) that determine the amount they pay in advance. The RMP is not a very good eye these seats which Rob flexibility.

Win-win principle

The fourth form of sales, finally, is the Group prices (15 of the total), which can be formed from 10 people. They resemble a formula relaxed blocks-seats since the principle is also a payment in advance. The client pays a deposit upon commitment (20 in 100 days), and then pay the rest in instalments until all of the amounts to 30 days of departure. The rates and levels of payment depend on the destination and the size of the group. The clientele of these rates is very fragmented: TO, travel agencies and of "incentive" or Congress but direct clients also (companies or individual grouped together).

In total, says Manager marketing of another regular company, negotiations between air carriers and the TO occur each year on a win-win principle: the latter provide activity during hollow taking commitments. In Exchange, the first guarantee them access to a minimum of seats in charged times. "It is a long term partnership where everyone seeks the balance between these two requirements."