ABTA votes to take BA to OFT
The ABTA board has voted to take British Airways to the Office of Fair Trading over planned changes to the Fresh Approach agency payment scheme.
ABTA had canvassed information from its members about how the proposed changes would impact on their businesses, and presented the findings to the board yesterday.
After considering the “compelling evidence”, the Board has now authorised its Legal Department to prepare a “formal complaint to the OFT about BA’s abuse of its dominant position in respect of commission cuts”.
ABTA head of Legal Services Riccardo Nardi told TravelMole that although it has taken some time to collect all the information, the wait has been worth while. He said: “We have taken our time to assemble the information because although it’s all very well having a legal case, we had to have an economic case to support it.”
He continued: “We now have that information, and it is stronger than we anticipated.”
Mr Nardi expects to submit the formal complaint to the OFT in 10 days’ time.
** ABTA has confirmed that Anita Roddick of The Body Shop will be speaking at its convention in Cairo, October 18-21.
See our previous stories:
25 Apr 2002: Time running out for BA as ABTA prepares to make OFT decision
16 Apr 2002: bmi says it won’t adjust commission until October
13 Feb 2002: BA cuts Fresh Approach payments
23 Jan 2002: BA and ABTA at loggerheads over Fresh Approach
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