If AA would just slip in overnight, and announce that they were reinstating the travel agency commission program, they would make a KILLING before the other carriers could react. Doesn't even have to be ten percent or a flat fee, many agencies would jump at 3-5% which is better than the thanks for 50 years of being responsible for the building our airline, now schmegg off they were handed several months ago.
As always, you gotta spend money to make money, and the fact still remains that NO carrier ever lost money on commissioned ticket sales through travel agencies, it was always a win-win partnership.
I still use a travel agency to take care of my travel needs, even though they've gone to a fee-based status, it's still better to let them get the headache than me.
Instead, AA chooses to play favorites by selecting a choice few agencies to partner with, further telling the rest of them to schmegg off again.
Without any type of media blitz, AA could just start paying some level of commission again to the agencies and the word would spread like wild fire...every agency in the country would be scrambling to book and sell AA - to the point where flights 6 months out or more would be booked solid in a matter of days.
There's some marketing genius to be had here...how long is it going to take AA to catch on?