Passengers will bear cost of added security, says expert

ITM National Conference Special: Customers will face increased fees to pay for strict new US security measures, a leading business travel agent has admitted. American Express director of industry affairs Bernard Harrop said Travel Management Companies will have no option but to charge for collecting data from clients travelling to America. If information is incorrect or missing, clients could face delays, interrogation or even deportation – making it imperative the agent does a thorough job. While not putting a figure on the cost, Harrop said it was inevitable fees would rise. Speaking during a debate at the Institute of Travel Management conference in South Wales last week, Harrop said: “There will be some cost somewhere. The corporate client will have to pay that at some stage I am afraid. “It’s particularly time consuming when data is missing. The agent can do nothing about that and will have to spend time obtaining the information.” Under the measures, designed to combat the threat of terrorism, passengers will be required to provide personal details through the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) – information which must be sent by airlines to American authorities within 15 minutes of a flight’s departure. The information is in addition to data collected in a 34-item Passenger Name Record (PNR) at the time of the booking. Controversy has surrounded the measures with lawyers and civil liberties groups in the US and UK insisting it flouts basic privacy rights. Solicitor Nicholas Sharp, a data privacy consultant, told the ITM conference: “The data may be shared within the US Department of Homeland Security which is vague. There are a few suspicions the FBI and CIA could get hold of the information.” Sharp added there was “tension” between the European Union and European Parliament who have clashed over the issue. While the EU is happy with PNR’s, politicians have objected strongly and demanded the US provide a list of agencies who would see the information. Sharp said the EU has given its backing as it is certain to introduce similar measures in Europe. “One of these days they’ll want to do this in reverse,” he said. Addressing the privacy issue, British Airways corporate sales senior manager Richard Tams said passenger information would only be held for the life of the booking. Meanwhile, concern continues over CAPPS II – Computer Assisted Pre-Screening System 2 – that assigns each passenger a green, yellow or red code, depending on their security risk. Information would be taken from the collected data. Sharp said it could potentially discriminate against people who, for example, had a British passport issued in the Middle East. There is also little, or no right of appeal, against a decision. He said it was “extraordinary” that the EU has also approved this plan even though the GAO, the investigatory arm of Congress, has raised serious privacy concerns. CAPPS II is not expected to be introduced until the end of the year. Report by Steve Jones