Search Travel Market Report

mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Packaged Travel
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Resources
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Briana Bonfiglio
    • Candace Protzman
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Jennifer Arango
    • Kelly Fontenelle
    • Louis Intreglia
    • Tom McCarthy

ASTA Testifies in Front of DOT on Transparency and Ancillary Rules

by Daniel McCarthy / December 09, 2022
ASTA Testifies in Front of DOT on Transparency and Ancillary Rules

Photo: Mark Van Scyoc / Shutterstock.com

On Thursday, ASTA’s executive vice president of advocacy Eben Peck appeared in front of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, representing the 17,000 members across the country.

Peck’s appearance focused on two recent proposals from the DOT.

The first is the proposal by the DOT to increase transparency in airfares and ancillary service fees, something that TMR’s Paul Ruden called “a work of staggering complexity.” Peck told members that the proposal is a “step in the right direction” for full transparency but ASTA has concerns about how the “requirement to disclose fees for multiple services in each and every ‘offline’ transaction” could have on its members.

Mainly, Peck said, the 2017 proposal from the DOT on disclosures related to baggage fees included the words “upon request,” which removed some burden from travel advisors and agency owners when they were speaking to their clients. Those words, absent from the DOT’s proposal, could “make all the difference for our members.”

Ultimately, the move would put even more of a burden on travel advisors, who are already required to make up to seven consumer disclosures per transaction when selling air tickets. “We estimate annual compliance costs to our industry for the existing disclosure regime at $8.83 million per year,” Peck said on Thursday.

The second is the proposal on whether the DOT should require airlines to provide fee information about ancillary services in the various GDSs, a question which Peck answered: “unequivocally, yes, the Department should require this.”

The travel agency community has already “invested heavily” to integrate GDS into its operations, investments that are estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. If agencies aren’t able to access ancillary fee information flow through the GDS, “much of this investment will have to be duplicated so that agents can continue meeting the needs of their clients. In the best of circumstances this will take many years and much disruption to accomplish,” Peck said.

  0
  0
Related Articles
What’s New in Caribbean Travel According to Tourism Ministers
Advisors Get the Caribbean Experience at the 2023 ASTA Caribbean Showcase
ASTA Hosts 250+ Advisors for Caribbean Showcase, Announces Plans for 2024 in Curacao
American Airlines Fined $4 Million by DOT for Tarmac Delays
Governmental Rules and More Rules – What's An Advisor to Do? Part I
House Approves FAA Reauthorization Bill, Now Heads to Senate
Hope Springs Eternal with New DOT Rulemaking
ASTA Kicks Off Mentorship Program
Legislative Day 2023: Driven by Demand, the Advisor Community Is Growing
Tennis Icon Venus Williams Will Headline ASTA’s 2024 Global Convention

MOST VIEWED

  1. Maui Fires Update: Which Hotels and Resorts Are Open and Closed After Lahaina Fires
  2. Tropical Storm Idalia Forecasted to Become Hurricane Today, Hit Florida by Wednesday
  3. FAA Issues Nationwide Ground Stop for United Airlines Flights
  4. Southwest Airlines Strike Seems Imminent
  5. Hurricane Lee's Uncertain Path Raises Some Travel Concerns
  6. Celebrity Cruises Removes Gratuities from "All Included" Pricing


  1. Hurricane Lee Intensifies to Category 5: Caribbean and U.S. Impact Uncertain
  2. Hurricane Franklin Scuttles Two Bermuda Cruises
  3. Royal Caribbean Monitoring Haiti Violence
  4. Two Florida Ports Remain Closed After Hurricane Idalia
  5. Updated Cruise Line COVID-19 Vaccination, Booster, & Testing Requirements
  6. Idalia Expected to Hit Florida as ‘Extremely Dangerous Major Hurricane’ on Wednesday
TMR THIS WEEK
Sponsored by ALG Vacations®
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=1bebc35e-2656-ee11-92d0-005056a8720b&Width=350&Height&250

Tips for Travel Advisors to Build Stronger Relationships and Higher Profits

Travel is a people business. Even with the many advanced technologies available to assist with travel planning and booking, it is still all about travel professionals helping their clients to explore new lands and cultures.

Read More...
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Travel Vets Launch AVANCE Collective, a 501(c)(3) Focused on the Industry’s People
Travel Vets Launch AVANCE Collective, a 501(c)(3) Focused on the Industry’s People

The ultimate goal of the organization is to “demonstrate the charitable power of the travel industry." 

Read...
Nexion’s 2023 Rising Star Reveals How She Succeeds as a New Travel Advisor
Nexion’s 2023 Rising Star Reveals How She Succeeds as a New Travel Advisor

Brittany Franey, an independent travel advisor in South Carolina, is Nexion’s Rising Star for 2023.

Read...
Tools for Success: How Advisors Can Work Smarter in the Travel Industry
Tools for Success: How Advisors Can Work Smarter in the Travel Industry

Tools that can make an advisor's job easier, from Plann That to FlowDesk to Asana and more. 

Read...
ACTA'S 2023 Eastern Summit Industry Panel: Maximizing Return on Effort
ACTA'S 2023 Eastern Summit Industry Panel: Maximizing Return on Effort

Working smarter, not necessarily harder. 

Read...
ACTA Calls CEBA Extension ‘Not Enough’ After More Details Emerge
ACTA Calls CEBA Extension ‘Not Enough’ After More Details Emerge

The "key element" of the program is being curtailed.

Read...
Former GOGO Vacations President John van den Heuvel Returns to Corporate Traveler USA
Former GOGO Vacations President John van den Heuvel Returns to Corporate Traveler USA

Corporate Traveler named John van den Heuvel as its new President this week. 

Read...
TMR OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
European Travel Trends 2023 Outlook
CP White Paper 1
Cruise Trend Outlook 2023
View All
Advertiser's Voice
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=f9702600-2656-ee11-92d0-005056a8720b
Let Windstar Show Your Groups The Way to Explore the World 180 Degrees From Ordinary
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News |Packaged Travel |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Resources |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy