The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) has confirmed changes to its accreditation requirements, including modifications to branch location personnel requirements. The changes to the Agency Reporting Agreement were approved by the Board of Directors of ARC following consultation with travel agent representatives.
Agents were advised that in accordance with section XXV of the Agreement - Memorandum of Agreement and Alternative Means of Concurrence - these changes will be effective March 15, 2010.
ARC said agents continued participation with ARC under the Agreement after the March 15, 2010, effective date will serve as acceptance of the aforementioned amendments. Agents with questions can contact ARC's Customer Care Center at [email protected] or call +1 703.816.8003 for further information or online at www.arccorp.com.
A summary of ARC's changes includes:
* An entity will no longer require an ARC Specialist Qualifier (ASQ) or a Management Qualifier (MQ) physically on the premises at every branch location. The ASQ and MQ requirement will remain a requirement for the Home Office. The entity may then appoint the home office ASQ/MQ to serve as the qualifier for multiple branch locations (# unlimited).
* Alternatively, there may be an employee that can better manage the branches and that employee is not presently an ASQ or MQ at the Home Office. That employee may be the person designated to make “management decisions” for the branch locations, in lieu of appointing the home office ASQ or MQ and that person may also be in charge of multiple branch locations.
* The MQ previously required at the branches had to be on the premises full time with full time being defined in the ARA as 35 hours. The Home office will still require an MQ full time but ARC no longer defines what hours = full time, giving the agency the ability to self manage the number of hours needed.
ARC is also eliminating future accreditation of two location types – Satellite Ticket Printer (STP) and Onsite Branch (OSB)
* STPs were created prior to e-ticketing for the purpose of delivering paper tickets to customer premises. Any currently accredited STP or OSB will be grandfathered and entitled to maintain that accreditation as long as needed. No new applications will be accepted after March 15, 2010. Most current needs for accreditation on customer premises are met using CSL and TFL location types.
In addition, archaic rules related to signage have been eliminated in recognition of the growing population of home-based travel professionals.