In 2013, travel agencies of various sizes were assessed civil penalties ranging from $20,000 to $125,000, and on day two of 2014 the Department of Transportation (DOT) levied a $95,000 fine on a single agency, notes the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).
"All it takes is just one untrained agent that fails to disclose a code-share carrier’s name. Or an ad you’ve produced that fails to include the total price of the charter flights you’ve arranged for your local high school German club," ASTA notes. One response suggested by ASTA is to join ASTA’s VP industry affairs, John Pittman, and author of ASTA’s U.S. Travel Agency Regulatory Compliance Handbook, who will guide agents through the major federal regulations in a May 7 webinar.
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The webinar, which is free to ASTA members, promises to provide practical advice to help agents to develop a plan to meet regulatory obligations and minimize risks.
"This webinar will delve deeply into the nuances and key compliance issues of the principal federal consumer protection rules and policies," ASTA notes.
Topics will include: Code-share disclosure rule, Full price disclosure rule, Hazardous materials disclosure rule and other regulations that agents need to know.
Frontline agents should attend along with agency managers, marketing managers and anyone responsible for advertising, website administration and similar roles, ASTA says.
The Regulatory Compliance for Travel Agency Professionals will be offered Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT.
Visit www.ASTA.org