With airlines struggling to stimulate traffic, you might expect to have more clout in negotiating group rates. You may be disappointed.

The current challenges facing the airline industry have not had a measurable impact on negotiations between Northwest/KLM Airlines and their corporate meeting and incentive planner customers," says Kurt Ebenhoch, senior manager, media relations. "The pricing we have offered has not been changed, nor have the terms and conditions altered as a result of reductions in capacity."

However, if you can negotiate zone fare discounts for programs that don't require a Saturday night stay, then attendees may be able to avoid having to come in on a Saturday for a Monday meeting.

"These [programs] can be contracted closer to the meeting dates, as they only require a seven-day advance booking window and offer the planner guaranteed pricing once the contract is signed," Ebenhoch says.

To get the most favorable rates, it's as important as ever to do your homework. "We're doing more extensive research than ever before to identify which carriers have the most lift in and out of locations," says Gary Schirmacher, CMP, vice president for Conferon's western region, based in Denver. "It's important to know where your highest number of attendees are, what locales they'll be departing from, and what airlines have the most seats and the most frequent flight schedules."

Still, carriers are under pressure to keep costs down and can be inflexible. "Airlines are being more selective with regard to providing up-front concessions to clients," Schirmacher says.

Direct booking

Fewer flights not only mean less convenience but also higher costs for the 5,000 delegates expected to attend the Infectious Diseases Society of America annual meeting, October 9 to 12 in San Diego.

"I do see fares increasing because the list of major cities will be reduced," says Sandy Vura Harwood, CMP, who is monitoring fares in her role as director of meetings and conventions. "I think that overall costs of getting to a destination will affect our functions in the future, but it's hard to predict the impact on attendance right now."

Harwood expects Internet-savvy delegates to shop online for cheap rates rather than use the official travel agency, which has increased its surcharge. Or, they may go directly to the designated carriers - United, which has code sharing with US Airways for lift into San Diego, and Southwest Airlines. "We allow attendees to go directly to the airlines and use our discount code," Harwood says. "We're trying to assist our attendees in getting the best possible fare."

Attendees who book online can also benefit from e-mail notification about flight changes. At Delta.com, for example, customers can sign up to receive flight status notifications via e-mail or mobile device, as well as view estimated airport wait times.