ASTA Disputes IATA Coordination Claims

travel agentThe American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) joined with the Business Travel Coalition (BTC) to reject claims by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that the new “standard” IATA  has developed for retail distribution was the “culmination of 12 months of intense coordination."

ASTA also rejected IATA's claims that it coordinated the standard across the  industry value chain "with participation from airlines, global distribution systems, the travel agency community including online travel agencies and IT providers and their respective trade organizations.”  

IATA made the assertion in a press release at the end of its World Passenger Symposium in Abu Dhabi last week, ASTA said.

“The claim of participation by “the travel agency community” and its “trade organizations” is an illusion, plain and simple,” said Nina Meyer, president and chief executive officer of ASTA. 

 “We and fellow travel agency organizations around the world have been denied transparent participation in the development process for what IATA calls the New Distribution Capability (NDC)," Meyer said,

"IATA cannot legitimately claim this is an “industry effort” on the grounds that one or two individual agencies were present. And the claim that it will enhance competition is called into question in light of NDC’s apparent preclusion of full price transparency and comparison," Meyer said.

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