Aviation Technologies, Inc. d/b/a PublicCharters.com will be the first Indirect Air Carrier (Public Charter Operator) allowed to sell and settle directly with ARC-accredited travel agents, the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) said. ARC’s Board of Directors approved the move, effective with sales on December 29, 2008.
“With scheduled traffic reduced or eliminated to many smaller markets, travel professionals’ opportunity to serve the customer has been impacted,” says Mike Premo, ARC’s vice president of marketing, sales, and customer care. “However, by adding the Indirect Air Carrier category to the existing selection of more than 170 scheduled carriers, ARC has provided travel agents with a unique opportunity to fill a potential gap with new content.”
PublicCharters.com is based in Pennsylvania and currently serves Southern Florida, the Caribbean and select U.S. regional markets. Their business model uses chartered aircraft to serve routes lacking scheduled service, and includes plans to make seats available to the traveling public on corporate jet aircraft.
Through ARC, travel agents can further meet niche market demand with new and unique Public Charter Operator content. Inventory can be “bundled” using segment select functions within various GDSs and with schedules identifying operating carriers and equipment.
Visit www.arccorp.org.