17 April 2009

IATA accused of breaking EU rules

IATA is being accused of breaking EU regulations by failing to protect the identity of travel agencies.

According to the European Technology & Travel Services Association, the airline association is continuing to sell its PaxIS product with travel agency identification.

EU regulations came into force on March 29 giving travel agencies the right to decide whether or not their identification may be disclosed in the booking data that Global Distribution Systems and IATA provide in their market intelligence products, such as MIDT or PaxIS.

The provision was introduced by the EU regulators following claims that travel agencies were suffering from unfair commercial pressure by airlines.

ETTSA secretary general Tom Parkersaid: ââ¬ÅâœIATAââ¬â¢s practice appears to be in direct contradiction to the Code of Conduct and seriously jeopardises the protection of travel agencies set out in the new regulation.

ââ¬ÅâœLike other players in the travel industry, IATA must follow the rules set by the regulators, whether they like them or not. Users of the PaxIS product should be asking themselves the question whether they have been provided a legitimate product.ââ¬~

Other organisations have also voiced their concerns, including the World Travel Agents Association Alliance (WTAAA) of which the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Associations is a member.

ETTSA members include Amadeus, ebookers, Expedia, Opodo, Sabre (including its affiliate lastminute.com) and Travelport.

By Bev Fearis

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• IATA communication
  
  

  Try http://www.iata.org/customer_portal_europe/contactus.htm This is the best way to communicate IATA. You log an inquiry and they usually get back to you with the proper reply:)

  By Orestis Papadopoulos, Tuesday, April 21, 2009
• Iata won't communicate
  
  

  I have tried to contact Iata regarding both this issue and the recent controversy surrounding its agency bonding policy. The organisation seems incapable of communicating. I know agents have complained about this since everything was moved to Madrid. Is its problem arrogance? Incompetence? Or are their hands tied by red tape?

  By M F, Friday, April 17, 2009