The Importance of Finding the Right Partner

FEDAGSA – Federation of Airline General Sales Agents is a Swiss based not for profit federation. In existence more than 30 years our focus has been exclusively on our members role in the air cargo market.  The airline GSSA does not get paid unless they sell the space on the carriers meaning repeat successful transactions are required. The GSSA is also the first call of the Forwarder if anything goes wrong so professional GSSA’s survive and others do not.

Our members are carefully and continually checked meaning we can recommend them with high confidence and so can the  whole industry. In many cases the members have  financial guarantees through us so we put our money where our mouth is too. Not even IATA Cass guarantees your payment. All members have DG qualified staff  and have been in business a number of years. In short we are a professional body and we will keep it that way.  We are also here to help those starting up and have a program to assist in this.  Given the industry’s ability to adapt, merge, sell and recreate  we see new skilled participants every year.’

A FEDAGSA  GSSA links the demand of a forwarder with the supply of its carriers frequently utilising the latest booking technologies such as Tricargo.aero . Space and rate are confirmed and the whole transaction is monitored including tracking. The GSSA will collect the funds from the forwarder, guarantee them in many cases , and even load the IATA Cass system for the airline should the carrier wish.  Indeed under TCM( total cargo management) agreements the GSSA does everything and the carrier simply gets a check. The ultimate in outsourcing and a growing trend. 

The second S in GSSA is where creativity comes in. Service is absolutely essential especially when things go wrong. We are finding the smart Forwarders are recognising this and moving away from  expensive all in platforms  to a world of enough but not too much tech !  The three most important things in air cargo today are Service Service Service.  There is so much space  in the market now that rates are low and when a forwarder buys a destination for his clients freight he’s in competition too.  Repeat business comes for getting it right every time and that takes knowledge , skill and commitment . Inventive GSSA’s have even  created routes by well negotiated interline arrangements  using the Federation’s air waybill program. These SERVICES are imagined and created by the good people at our GSSA’s to meet the Forwarders needs. Or looked at another way  when the market doesn’t have it our guys are perfectly capable of inventing it…….