As an ASTA member resource to aid agencies in negotiating more favorable contract terms, ASTA provided agencies/advisors with a Supplier Contract Addendum template taking into account basic assurances and protections to use during their negotiating process with suppliers that included:
• Commissions to be payable within 14 days of full payment
• For ‘Covered Events’ (travel cancellations not attributable to the client):
• Agency to be held harmless (including chargebacks) • Commission protection
COMMISSION AND BOOKING FEE SHORTFALLS
In March of 2020, ASTA publicly encouraged GDSs to suspend or waive altogether, any booking shortfall penalties during the course of the pandemic that may have been due to the GDS under an agency contract. While a confidential business decision between each GDS and relevant
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agencies, most if not all GDSs complied given the financial hardship presented by those penalties to the loyal agency community – at a time when the impact to booking volumes was far beyond the agency’s normal control.