If passed, a bill introduced in the House this week would create a seat for a travel agency on the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisor Committee.

Getting that seat is one of ASTA’s top legislative priorities this year.

The committee was created with the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2012 and currently includes airline, airports, consumer groups and state or local governments.

“Giving travel advisors a seat at the ACPAC table will bring the committee valuable insights that are missing today, especially in terms of the real-world impacts of complex proposals pending before DOT,” said Eben Peck, ASTA’s executive vice president of advocacy.

ASTA said it has been an active participant with the committee since it was created. Its recent meetings have centered around several DOT regulatory proposals that could impact the agency community: one on ticket refunds and another related to transparency in airline fees.

The bill, called the ACPAC Modernization Act, was introduced Wednesday and has bipartisan support.

During ASTA’s annual Legislative Day later this month, the bill will be one of the issues the Society asks participants to talk about with their legislative representatives.

Source: Read Full Article