Today, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), world advocate for journey companies and the world’s main affiliation of journey professionals, cheered the inclusion of a number of of its prime priorities inside a contemporary piece of bipartisan laws rolled out at present by the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
The ‘Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act’ reauthorizes the existence of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in addition to different federal-level aviation security and infrastructure packages by no less than 2028.
Current FAA packages are set to run out on September 30, 2023.
Among different issues, the invoice introduces a blueprint for bettering FAA operations and effectivity, rising the aviation trade’s workforce, investing in airport infrastructure, enhancing the passenger expertise, securing the gold commonplace in aviation security, encouraging innovation in air journey, and reauthorizing work of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The new laws encompasses a number of provisions notably championed by ASTA, together with:
- Clarifying Travel Agency Refund Obligations – Demystifying a earlier level of concern contained inside a separate and pending Department of Transportation (DOT) measure on airline refund necessities, this new invoice makes clear {that a} journey company is obligated to problem consumer refunds solely when it presently possesses the funds in query; versus being compelled to offer refunds out of pocket in sure circumstances the place shoppers’ flights had been cancelled or considerably modified, no matter whether or not the company in in possession of its shoppers’ funds.
- Adding a Travel Agency Seat on the DOT Consumer Protection Advisory Committee – The new rule-making incorporates the phrases of one other bipartisan invoice not too long ago introduced earlier than the House, known as the ‘Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) Modernization Act’ (H.R.3780), which ASTA additionally strongly helps. It would broaden the membership of the DOT’s present ACPAC, a key company advisory board, by including a devoted seat for a journey company consultant.
- Streamlining Disclosures in Offline Ticket Transactions – The invoice would additionally require the DOT to develop a way for streamlining the supply of required buyer disclosures throughout “offline transactions” (e.g., over the cellphone, in-person) inside 18 months of the brand new regulation’s enactment. When promoting air tickets, journey advisors are obligated by regulation to speak as much as seven completely different disclosures per transaction, consuming up helpful time and impacting their enterprise operations. This is a degree that ASTA has sought to handle since 2017 and was included in its request to Congress, despatched earlier this 12 months.
- Creating a New Consumer Advisory Committee With a Travel Agency Seat – The laws would additionally oblige the DOT to type a brand new ‘Passenger Experience Advisory Committee’ with no less than one seat amongst its membership put aside for a ticketing agent consultant. The committee’s perform could be to counsel Secretary of Transportation on methods to enhance the passenger expertise in air transportation customer support.
“The FAA reauthorization legislation released by the committee today includes many of the provisions ASTA has been advocating for on behalf of our members since the beginning of the year and in some cases far longer,” stated ASTA President and CEO, Zane Kerby.
“We applaud committee leadership and staff for their diligent work in putting this bill together, and for being responsive to the concerns of travel advisors in their districts and across the country. The bill is evidence that policymakers recognize the invaluable role travel advisors play in the larger travel and tourism ecosystem while serving as a key voice for consumers.”
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