A Jet Airways spokesperson said the airline was examining the civil aviation secretary's order. No other airline has responded to email queries on the issue. While airlines and passengers may benefit from the move, it is likely to hurt travel agents who are already complaining of reduction in commission and disparity in fares. Currently, Air India and Jet Airways pay one per cent regular commission for domestic ticketing. Low cost airlines collect deposits in advance from large agents and, in turn, provide 1-2 per cent incentive, 1-2 per cent regular commission and a productivity commission. Till it was banned by the Supreme Court, the low-cost airlines tickets use to include a transaction fee of Rs 150 on each ticket, but the same was not included in the airfare.

“Earlier we were airline agents, now we are becoming their (airlines’) competitors,” said a travel agent. A few months ago, Jet Airways agreed in principle to allow agents to use credit cards to book tickets and restore price parity in tickets sold on their website and reservation systems used by agents. But the airline gave no commitment to restore five per cent commission. “Airlines have been taking an anti-agent stance and want to sell to passengers directly. The agents may start charging higher fees for visa processing and other services if they lose business due to differential airfares,” said another agent. In the order issued last week, the civil aviation secretary ruled that the meaning of transaction fee, commission or convenience fee was the same — payment of remuneration to an intermediary.