p5 News Sept1 16/9/09 21:13 Page 5
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In brief
■ Aito agents seeks ‘low-risk’ recognition
CAA moots APC
Aito’s Specialist Agents group has said Abta’s
plans to change its rules on financial protection
will succeed only if it changes credit card
companies’ perception of agents. A vote next
month could mean Abta bed banks having to
take responsibility for money collected by anyone
for click-throughs
selling their products. Aito Specialist Agents
chairman Barry Moxley said the move would only
benefit agents if it led to credit card companies
Chris Gray.
“It would be up
click-throughs as a “sub-
recognising them as “low-risk” and putting an TRAVEL websites offering stantial market”, but it was
end to their demands for large cash bonds. click-throughs to other sites
to the original
far from working out how
Bed bank vote dilemma: Letters, p34 selling holiday components
website to reach
to apply APC payments to
could be required to have click-throughs or how to
■ British visitors to the US face $10 entry fee an Atol under plans being
a commercial
ensure websites complied
Britons travelling to the US could be charged a considered by the CAA. with regulations.
$10 entry fee after the US Senate passed the That is one option set to
agreement to
Bowen suggested the
Travel Promotion Act. All visitors will be required be included in government
spread the risk
only way to make it work
to pay the levy as part of the Electronic System proposals for reform of the would be to make the origi-
for Travel Authorisation. The bill is expected to be Atol system due to be issued
between the two”
nal website hold the Atol.
introduced by the end of the year. next month or in November. “It would then be up
The move would significantly widen Atol’s to the original website to reach some sort
■ Sunvil boss to chair Travel Foundation remit, which is now applicable only to a retailer of commercial agreement to spread the risk
Sunvil managing director Noel Josephides will selling products through its own website. between the two,” he said.
take over as chairman of The Travel Foundation Click-throughs could be brought into the Atol CAA consumer protection deputy director
next year. Josephides, who has been a trustee umbrella as part of a move to a so-called “flight- David Moesli said click-throughs would be
of the charity for five years, will take over from plus” system, which would extend protection to “flagged up” in the consultation.
Roger Heape, who is retiring in January. any sale of a flight plus another component. But he added: “I don’t think there’s any
The CAA and Department for Transport are firm conclusion as to what the Department for
■ Western airlines eye up loss-making JAL thought to want to include them because of the Transport will want to legislate in that area.”
Delta, American Airlines, Air France-KLM and potential revenue raised from collecting Atol Pro- Tui Travel group counsel Mike Bowers said:
British Airways have been linked with moves to tection Contribution payments from the websites. “I’m not sure how it can be policed. It is
invest in loss-making Japan Air Lines. The However, they face difficulties implementing something the government and the CAA will have
carriers have refused to comment on speculation. and policing such a ruling. to grapple with.”
JAL has announced plans to cut 6,800 jobs. Alan Bowen, legal adviser to the Association
Air special feature, starts p51 of Atol Companies, said the CAA regarded ■ Atol reform: In-depth, p10
■ PwC sees green shoots in hotel sector
The hotel sector has come through the worst of
the downturn, according to accountancy firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers. It said inbound and
domestic tourism had helped alleviate the fall
in business travel guests. Average room rates in
London were said to have dropped by only £20
since the peak of 2007, and hoteliers should
start to see growth by the end of next year.
■ Thomson refunds ‘horrible holiday’ blogger
Thomson has apologised to and refunded a
customer who blogged about his “horrible”
holiday in Tunisia. More than 10,000 people read
Andy Sharman’s blog, which hit the top of the
Google ranking charts for searches for Thomson
and Tunisia. The operator refunded him £595. HELLRAISERS: Staff from The Co-operative Travel raised more than £13,000 for the
RNID at a Hell’s Kitchen-style event in Manchester. Top executives, including managing
ttglive.com
For the latest news, reviews and comment
director Mike Greenacre and senior commercial manager Julie Gibson (pictured), prepared
from the travel industry, visit
ttglive.com a three-course meal for guests, including Beckie Moran (centre) of Miss Ellies Travel
18.09.2009 05
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