Even the best offline agents are limited by their bandwidth, which is always finite. As more people get broadband Internet access, however, online travel shopping will offer more services than an offline agent ever could. Within a year or two of your site launches, the airlines cut your commissions. Today, your commissions are often a fraction of what offline agencies get for booking the same ticket. Make the case that you deserve a bigger commission than offline agencies do, not a smaller one.
Many people browse our site and then visit an airline site or an offline agent to buy a ticket.
There is no question that more people looked at Expedia and then booked through American Airlines's 800-number than browsed with an offline travel agent and then called the airline. Our influence is not being monetized today. Still, it doesn't serve our interest to receive a greater commission than offline agencies. Expedia is an incredibly efficient distribution channel, and we want vendors to push more business through our site. They write tickets.