The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is looking out for its members as the U.S. Department of Transportation proposes revisions to the Full Fare Rule and seeks input on whether it should be partially or fully repealed.
ASTA recently filed comments with DOT supporting practical updates to federal airfare advertising requirements as part of its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on "Enhancing Flexibility of Air Fare Price Advertising" published last month.
Any changes would be significant as the rule applies not only to airlines but travel agencies and other ticket agents. And advisors have little control over the reservation systems and technology platforms which they rely on.
The organization is all for transparency, however, urging DOT to preserve essential protections that make shopping for flights fair for travelers.
ASTA also confirmed that it supports eliminating restrictions that dictate how individual airfare components may be displayed so long as the total price remains at least as visible as any taxes, fees or carrier-imposed charges shown separately. This would "simplify compliance without diminishing consumers' ability to identify the amount they will pay," according to ASTA.
ASTA supports DOT's pitch to rescind outdated airfare advertising guidance amid advancing technologies. "ASTA encouraged DOT to ensure that any future guidance recognizes modern distribution through online booking platforms, global distribution systems, supplier websites and direct advisor-client interactions," the organization said.
Helping clients understand the ins and outs of their travel arrangements (Photo Credit: Lightfield Studios/Adobe Stock)
"Travelers deserve to know the full price of an airline ticket from the outset, but the federal government does not need to dictate every formatting decision used to present that information," ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby said in a statement. "DOT's targeted proposal offers a sensible balance by preserving meaningful price transparency while removing outdated requirements that create unnecessary compliance burdens."
"Travel advisors generally do not construct airfares or determine how taxes and mandatory charges appear within supplier systems," added Kerby. "They need clear, practical and technology-neutral rules that can be applied consistently across booking channels without creating compliance risk based on presentation choices beyond their control."
ASTA is likely to remain vocal regarding this issue as it represents travel agencies responsible for approximately 40 percent of all airline ticket sales. What's more, U.S. travel agency air ticket sales surpassed $100 billion last year.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
