IATA in big trouble Down Under

Tuesday, 09 Jul, 2002 0

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) says it will no longer participate in IATA meetings following the rejection of a new Passenger Service Agency Agreement by the airline association’s members.

AFTA – which represents most travel agents in Australia – is headed by chief executive Mike Hatton, who was one of the eight travel agent members on the Global Consultative Committee. The GCC had been working on a new more agent-friendly agreement for two years – only to have it turned down by the airlines at the recent IATA Passenger Agency Conference in Miami.

The organisation has suspended participation in all IATA committees and forums until the deadlock over the new commercial agreement is broken – last month’s meeting was suspended after the breakdown of talks and has not been rescheduled.

Mr Hatton said: “IATA cannot have it both ways – they cannot have us negotiate for all this time with an enormous cost in man-hours and expense, and then expect that we agents shall accept a position where everything is effectively placed in limbo and we shall also continue to participate in their various committees and forums.”

He added: “IATA has to realise that they cannot expect co-operation and participation from Australian agents until such time as these proposed reforms have been addressed and resolved to agent satisfaction.”

See related stories:

09-Jul-2002 The TravelMole Interview: Bruce Bishins, Genesis TDS

02-Jul-2002: IATA row threatens industry status-quo

For over 18 years and over 106 completed events, the Travel & Adventure Show has connected over 2.5 million travel...

The State of Michigan is blessed with the riches of unspoiled nature: the nation’s longest freshwater coastline, lakes that feel like...

In the heart of Europe, in one of the most innovative cities in the world, at the centre of business,...

ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES Mabuhay! Welcome to our archipelago of 7,641 islands where there are endless beaches, lively and fashionable cities,...

Here at Elegant Resorts, luxury travel is in our DNA. True pioneers in the industry, we were the first specialist...

At Wilderness Safaris we believe in creating life-changing journeys and have been doing so for over 39 years. Our purpose...

From the beginning, ATI’s philosophy has been “innovation, not duplication.“ Developing specialized technology solutions to connect over 30,000 accommodation, attracti...

City Cruises is a leading operator of sightseeing, dining and charter services operating in London, York and Poole. We offer...

At Visit California, our mission is to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry...

Holiday Extras is the UK market leader in airport parking, airport hotels, worldwide airport lounges, destination car hire, airport transfers...

Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a Provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC’s...

Family-owned Olympic Holidays has been arranging holidays to Greece, the Greek islands and Cyprus for more than half century. The company is unrivalled...

It’s easy to find perfection in Santa Barbara, but what if there was even more of your favorite finds, activities,...

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising nearly 7,300 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms, in...

Offering the most powerful portfolio in the industry, our 30 brands and 8,000+ properties across 139 countries and territories give...

Our Mission Ecommerce has transformative powers, and we believe everyone should be able to take part. But outdated solutions and...

The Florida Keys and Key West is a 126 mile long string of Islands connected to South Florida by the...

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels...