Disintermediation and reintermediation in the low cost carrier airline industry in India: A multiple case study

The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that impact the potential adoption of an Internet based Global Distribution System (GDS) for Low Cost Carrier (LCC) airline inventory distribution in India.;The sample consisted of revenue/channel managers of three major LCCs and one Full Service Carrier (FSC) which had recently acquired an LCC, at the supplier end. The data was collected in the form of recorded and transcribed interviews. The secondary intermediary was the Travel Agent (TA) and data was collected in the form of an online survey in association with the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).;The qualitative data was analyzed with the help of software called Atlas.ti and the quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. Expanded reach and economies of scale were found to be factors that would impact potential adoption of an Internet based GDS by suppliers. Productivity enhancement was found to be of significance at the secondary intermediary level.;The Billing and Settlement plan (BSP) was found to be a very important element in the creation of a GDS structure as it would bring about an element of organization to the industry. Direct distribution by suppliers was not found to be a significant factor, as the level of penetration of the Internet and related e-commerce is low in India.;Keywords: Internet, Disintermediation, Reintermediation, Global Distribution System, Low Cost Carrier, Travel Agent, Inventory Distribution.