Izinkampani zezindiza zibonise ikhono elikhulu ezinyangeni ezisanda kwedlula ekutholeni izindlela zokwenyusa izindleko zethikithi ngaphandle kokukhuphula imali yazo yokugibela.
Nakuba ukwehla komnotho kuzithumele ngokwazo imali yokugibela kulo nyaka, izinkokhelo zezindiza eziningi ezikhokhiswayo ngezikhwama zokuhlola nezinye izinsiza uma sezifakiwe entengo yethikithi zilokhu zikhuphuka futhi cishe zizohlala lapha.
Namuhla sibheka enye futhi imali engaba khona abahambi abaningi abangase babhekane nayo eminyakeni ezayo.
Izimali kulindeleke ukuthi zinikeze ukusuka ngaphansi kancane kwamaphesenti ayi-10 kuye ngaphezulu kwamaphesenti angama-40 emali engenayo yezinkampani zezindiza eziningi kulo nyaka. Akekho ophikisa ngokuthi abathwali badinga yonke imali engenayo abangayithola ukuze bavimbele noma yikuphi ukusikeka okujulile kwesevisi, bavimbele ukudilizwa kwezisebenzi okwengeziwe, futhi bathenge izindiza ezintsha.
Okuwukuphela kwento ephawulekayo ehlukile kule threndi kube yi-Southwest Airlines, ekhangisa kakhulu inqubomgomo yayo “yokungabikho kwemali efihliwe”. Kodwa muva nje, ngisho neNingizimu-ntshonalanga iphakamise ukuxhashazwa kwamanye amakhasimende ayo angcono kakhulu - abantu abaphethe izinhlelo zokuhamba zezigidigidi zamadola ezinkampanini ezinkulu - ngodaba oluhlobene nemali.
Ukukhathazeka kumayelana nesivumelwano iNingizimu-ntshonalanga enaso nomunye wabaxhumanisi ohlelweni lokuthengisa amathikithi, abaphathi bezokuvakasha abakhathazeke ngokuthi ekugcineni bangase banyuse izindleko zezindiza, hhayi kuphela ezinkampanini zabo kodwa nakuwo wonke amakhasimende.
Ophakamisa inhlabamkhosi ngesivumelwano saseNingizimu-ntshonalanga u-Kevin P. Mitchell, usihlalo we-Radnor-based Business Travel Coalition, iqembu elimelayo elisekelwa amakhulu ezinkampani ezihlinzeka ngezindiza ngesamba esikhulu semali engenayo. Ubikezele ngesonto eledlule ukuthi uma zonke izinkampani zezindiza zisebenzisa imodeli yebhizinisi entsha efana neyaseNingizimu-ntshonalanga, "zizobhekana namasaha avela kubaphathi bezokuvakasha."
Lolu daba, njengoba ngiphawulile ku-Winging It blog emasontweni amabili edlule, lungase lubonakale “lungaphakathi kwe-baseball” olungahlangene nhlobo nomhambi ngamunye. Kodwa hlala nami ngenkathi ngichaza ukuthi uhlelo lokusabalalisa amathikithi lusebenza kanjani, kungani kunokukhathazeka, nokuthi iNingizimu-ntshonalanga ithini ekuzivikeleni kwayo.
Kuze kube maphakathi nawo-1990, izinkampani zezindiza eziningi zazithengisa amathikithi ngokuyinhloko ngokukhokhela amakhomishini ezinkampani zokuhamba, ziqala cishe kumaphesenti ayishumi emali yokugibela futhi zikhuphuka njengoba i-ejenti yandisa umthamo wayo wokuthengisa. Ama-ejensi asebenzise amanethiwekhi amakhulu ekhompiyutha ezinkampani zezindiza, abizwa ngokuthi amasistimu wokusabalalisa umhlaba wonke noma ama-GDS, ukuze adayise amathikithi angaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-10. Izinkampani zezindiza zizithengisele zona ngokwazo.
Njengoba izinkampani zezindiza zakha amawebhusayithi azo futhi abahambi abaningi baqala ukubhuka ku-inthanethi, abathwali babona ithuba lokonga okukhulu futhi baqala ukuqeda amakhomishini.
Lesi sinyathelo sibulale izinkulungwane zama-ejensi. Abasindile baphoqeleka ukuthi basebenzise imodeli yebhizinisi yamanje yokukhokhisa imali yesevisi yamakhasimende. Imali ejwayelekile yokukhipha ithikithi namuhla icishe ibe ngu-$37, ngokusho kwe-American Society of Travel Agents.
Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva, izinkampani zezindiza ezazingabanikazi be-GDS zawashintsha zaba izinkampani ezizimele.
Ama-ejensi wezokuvakasha manje athengisa uhhafu wawo wonke amathikithi kanye namaphesenti angu-30 awo wonke amagumbi amahhotela, asebenzisa kakhulu izinhlelo ezintathu ezinkulu zokusabalalisa umhlaba wonke: i-Sabre, i-Travelport, ne-Amadeus. Ama-GDS nawo anezigaba ezithengisa ngqo emphakathini, okuhlanganisa i-Travelocity ne-Orbitz.
Ngaso leso sikhathi, amakhasimende ezinkampani aqhubeka nokusebenzisa ama-ejensi amakhulu, aziwa kangcono namuhla njengezinkampani ezilawula ukuvakasha, ewabona njengozakwethu abanokufinyelela kulo lonke uhlu lwamathikithi enkampani yezindiza.
Izinkampani zincike ezinhlelweni zomhlaba wonke kanye nama-ejensi azo ukuze zisize ukulawula izindleko ngokunikeza idatha abasebenzi bezindiza ezisebenzisayo, nokuthi yiziphi izisebenzi ezingalandeli inqubomgomo yenkampani ngokubhuka uhambo ngazodwana, ngokuvamile kuwebhusayithi yenkampani yezindiza.
Izinkampani zithi zidinga isethi eyodwa yedatha ekusetshenzisweni kwazo kwezindiza ukuze zithole izaphulelo ezinkulu nezinkampani zezindiza futhi zithole amadili, njengezindleko eziphusile zamathikithi abhukhwe ngomzuzu wokugcina. Izinkampani ziphinde zithi okuwukuphela kwendlela engathola ngayo yonke imali yokugibela yenkampani yezindiza ukusebenzisa i-ejensi esebenzisa uhlelo lokusabalalisa umhlaba wonke.
Manje, emuva eNingizimu-ntshonalanga. Inkampani yezindiza inedumela elifaneleka kahle lesevisi enhle futhi ibeka izinkokhelo eziphansi ezinye izinkampani zenethiwekhi okufanele zifane ukuze zihlale zincintisana. Kuze kube yiminyaka embalwa edlule, iwadayise kakhulu amathikithi ayo ngesizindalwazi sayo futhi ayizange ifune ukwenza ibhizinisi nezinkampani ezinkulu ebezifuna ukusebenzisa izinkampani ezilawula ezokuvakasha kanye nezinhlelo zokusabalalisa umhlaba wonke.
Kodwa ukuze kudayiswe amathikithi amaningi, iSouthwest yenza isivumelwano ngo-2007 ne-GDS eyodwa, i-Travelport, lapho i-Travelport ikhokhisa ama-ejensi u-$1.25 ngendiza ngayinye yaseNingizimu-ntshonalanga ethengiswa ngohlelo lwayo, kusho uMitchell wenhlangano yezokuvakasha. Ngokwesiko, izinkampani zezindiza zikhokhela ama-ejensi nezinhlelo zokusabalalisa amathikithi ukuze zithole amathikithi azo ezandleni zamakhasimende, hhayi ngenye indlela, esho.
Izikhulu zaseNingizimu-ntshonalanga zithi kuku-Travelport ukunquma ukuthi ubani ekugcineni okhokha imali yendiza ngayinye, kungaba yi-ejensi, noma ikhasimende. “Asinalo izwi kulobo budlelwano bezomnotho,” kusho uRob Brown, umqondisi wezokuthengisa nokusabalalisa kwamabhizinisi eNingizimu-ntshonalanga.
Kepha uMitchell uveze ukuthi ezinye izindiza zibheke ngabomvu isivumelwano seSouthwest-Travelport, ngethemba lokuthi nazo, zingathola ukuthi zingazidlulisa kanjani ezinye zezindleko zokusabalalisa zazo ziye kwelinye lamanye amaqembu ku-equation.
Futhi uma lokho kwenzeka, qagela ukuthi ubani ongaphetha ukukhokha kancane ukuze athenge ithikithi esebenzisa i-ejenti yezokuvakasha?
