WTAAA POSTS

A letter by WTAAA, it has requested IATA to include the travel agency distribution channel through WTAAA, on all-related committees and task forces. It has been addressed to Aleks Popovich, Senior Vice President, Industry Distribution and Financial Services, IATA. According to Peter Barlow, Chairman, WTAAA, “IATA has the unique challenge of developing a standard that will not be seen by regulators as having the potential to skew the competitive process. We urge IATA to have its newly announced initiative reviewed by regulatory agencies to ensure the initiative is designed to produce pro-competitive standards that will benefit the entire distribution system, not just IATA’s airline members.” WTAAA has also invited Popovich to for a discussion with its members at its annual general assembly on September 10-12, 2012 in Washington, D.C. “The travel agency distribution system sells nearly 60 per cent of global air tickets. Therefore, it is imperative that our voices be heard. Further, as the global association whose members represent more than 70 per cent of all agency issued tickets worldwide, it is appropriate that WTAAA have a seat at the table,” added Barlow. Commenting on the issue, Ajay Prakash, Deputy Chairman, WTAAA, said, “It is imperative that IATA involves the global travel agent community while formulating the NDC. The global distribution system has been the core of airline distribution and if an alternative is proposed, it is only fair that travel agents who form the largest distribution channel for airline inventories should be consulted. Airlines and agents are still partners, albeit unequal ones.”