Business Travel Coalition News
FAA should not consider airlines or passengers its customer
Business Travel Coalition (BTC) and FlyersRights.org today applauded FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt’s decision to require FAA staff to cease referring to airlines as customers of the agency, long a concern of travel organizations. The dysfunction caused by this misguided notion of airlines-as-customer is deeply rooted in FAA culture; the Customer Service Initiative was merely one manifestation.
BTC Welcomes IATA Arbitration Compliance
Business Travel Coalition (BTC) today welcomed the International Air Transport Association’s confirmation that it will comply with the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration ruling ordering the airline association to cease and desist using data from global distribution system (GDS) firm Amadeus (AMA) in its Passenger Intelligence Services (PaxIS) product. BTC now calls on IATA to comply with its obligations under the recently revised EC Code of Conduct to mask the identity of travel agencies and corporate purchasers for data derived from all GDSs.
IATA Gamble to Flaunt EU Law Backfires
Business Travel Coalition (BTC) today applauded a major arbitration decision in a case global distribution system provider Amadeus brought before the International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration regarding the controversial Passenger Intelligence Services (PaxIS) product developed and marketed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Amadeus won resounding victories on both arbitrated claims. Today’s decision provides encouragement to travel industry participants that IATA will not be allowed to disregard EU law and should strengthen DG-TREN’s resolve to forbid IATA to disregard the newly-revised European CRS Code of Conduct.
U.S. Requires National Air Transportation Policy
Business Travel Coalition (BTC) today, in the aftermath of National Transportation Safety Board hearings examining the Colgan Air crash, transmitted a letter to Congress signed by sixty-five corporate travel buyers, labor organizations, travel management companies and industry organizations representing millions of travelers.The letter urges hearings in the larger context of formulation of a national air transportation policy that appropriately articulates public policy expectations regarding optimizing safety and minimizing cost in the U.S. aviation system. Chairpersons and Ranking Members of the relevant aviation, homeland security and appropriations committees in the House and Senate received the signatory letter.
IATA privacy obligations cause confusion
Business Travel Coalition (BTC) today responded in disbelief that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) now insists its Passenger Intelligence Services (PaxIS) product is compliant with the new EU CRS Code of Conduct and was so from the date the new Code took effect on 29 March 2009. This latest position comes after recently arguing that the Code did not even apply to its organization.
BTC expands tVillage Talent Connections
Business Travel Coalition has opened its tVillage Talent Connections to all travel industry participants. Previously, the LinkedIn-based site was private, invitation-only and exclusively for unemployed in all travel industry segments. This non-commercial site was designed for networking purposes to enable members to help one another through this very rough patch for the travel industry and its practitioners.