Travel Agent's Handbook

375 Pages·2016·3.98 MB·English

Travel Agent’s Handbook
Resolution 818g Edition
Effective 1 June 2016

Travel Agent’s Handbook
Resolution 818g Edition
Effective 1 June 2016
International Air Transport Association
Montreal—Geneva
NOTICE
DISCLAIMER. The information contained in this
publication is subject to constant review in the
light of changing government requirements and
regulations. No subscriber or other reader
should act on the basis of any such information
without referring to applicable laws and regulations
and/or without taking appropriate professional
advice. Although every effort has been made to
ensure accuracy, the International Air Transport
Association shall not be held responsible for any loss
or damage caused by errors, omissions, misprints
or misinterpretation of the contents hereof.
Furthermore, the International Air Transport
Association expressly disclaims any and all
liability to any person or entity, whether a
purchaser of this publication or not, in respect of
anything done or omitted, and the consequences
of anything done or omitted, by any such person or
entity in reliance on the contents of this publication.
ISBN 978-92-9252-972-7
© 2016 International Air Transport Association. All rights reserved.
Montreal—Geneva
FOREWORD
“FROM THE AGENCY ADMINISTRATOR”
Welcome to the 2016 edition of the Resolution 818g Travel Agent's Handbook, which contains the current text
of Passenger Agency Conference Resolutions that apply to IATA Accredited Agents. This Handbook will
normally be updated annually and is legally required to be provided to each Approved Location of an IATA
Agent.
The 818g set of Sales Agency Rules was adopted at the June 2007 Passenger Agency Conference to
address changing regulatory requirements in certain markets where the Passenger Agency Programme
operateswithoutimmunity.
Section 1 of this Handbook contains useful information specific to Resolution 818g countries. Further General
Informationcanbefoundonthededicated Agenthomewebsite(seebelowfordetails).
The Passenger Agency Conference Resolutions and locally established criteria, which together form part of
the Passenger Sales Agency Agreement, can be found in Sections 2 and 3 respectively of this Handbook.
The rules and criteria contained in Sections 2 and 3 are mandatory and must be adhered to by agents
participatingintheProgrammeinthe country/area governedbytheserules.
The Manager of each Approved Location is recommended to draw this Handbook to the attention of staff
involved in selling international air transportation and issuing tickets. There are items of information in the
handbook which will strengthen travel agents' knowledge of their trade and make them more effective in their
work,totheadvantagebothoftheiremployer andthemselves.
The Agency Programme is constantly under review and is the subject of on-going dialogue between airlines
and agents. As a result, adjustments and improvements are progressively introduced in order to keep the
programme relevant to the industry's needs in the marketplace. The changes in this handbook incorporate all
theamendmentsmadein2015,asummaryof whichisprovidedinthe ‘SalientAspects’ sectionbelow.
The Agenthome website (www.iata.org/agenthome) provides a wealth of information for IATA Accredited
Agents. In addition to the individual Passenger Agency Conference resolutions, Agents will also be able to
download copies of essential publications (Travel Agent's Handbook, BSP Manual for Agents) and other
referencematerial.
AgencyAdministrator
(email: [email protected])
i
EFFECTIVE1JUNE2016
Travel Agent's Handbook
SALIENT ASPECTS OF NEW OR AMENDED RESOLUTIONS
Resolution 800a
Paragraph 1.3:inclusionofrequirementto providemobilephonenumber.
Paragraph3.6:inclusionofrequestto providefinancialassessment contact/s.
Paragraph6.3:removalofrequirementstoprovidephotographsoftheinteriorandexteriorofthe location.
Paragraph8.8:inclusionofrequestto providebankdetails.
Paragraph8.9:inclusionofrequestto providenameand emailaddressof theISSPortalAdministrator.
Resolution 800f–Agents' Financial Evaluation Criteria
Variousreplacementsof“Agent”with “Applicant” wheretheprovisionsrefer toNewApplicants.
Variousreplacementsof“grossBSPsales” with “net BSPcashsales”.
Resolution 818g
Various amendments reflecting the replacement of the term “suspension” with “removal/withdrawal of
ElectronicTicketingAuthority”.
Paragraph2.2.1.1(a-b):inclusionofaprovisionthat,wherenominimum FinancialSecurityisindicatedin the
LocalFinancialCriteria,noFinancialSecuritywillberequestediftheamountislessthanUSD5,000.
Paragraph 2.2.1.2: inclusion of a provision to request a new Financial Security under Prejudiced Collection of
Fundsactions.
Paragraph 2.2.1.2(a-b):inclusionofaprovisionthat,wherenominimum FinancialSecurityisindicatedin the
LocalFinancialCriteria,noFinancialSecuritywillberequestediftheamountislessthanUSD5,000.
Paragraph 2.2.1.3: inclusion of exception for Agents in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Venezuela
tobeabletoprovideaFinancialSecuritywithin40days(insteadof30).
Paragraph2.2.2:correctionofcrossreferences.
Paragraph 10.12.1: clarification that the Notice of Change form must be submitted to IATA before the change
hastakenplace.
Paragraph10.12.1:clausenowreferstochangesofownership,shareholding,nameandlegalstatus.
Paragraph 10.12.1-3: inclusion of a late notification of change fee where the change has not been
communicatedbeforethechangetookplace.
Paragraph10.12.2:clausenowreferstochangesof ownership, shareholding,name andlegalstatus.
Paragraph 10.12.3: removal of provision to issue a double irregularity where a change of location is reported
afterthechangehastakenplace.
Attachment ‘A’–Reporting & Remitting
Variousreplacementsofsendingnotificationsto Agentsvia “BSPlink” with“theISSPortal”.
Paragraph 1.1.5-1.1.8:inclusionofacreditlimitfor China only, anddescriptionoftheprocessto befollowed.
Paragraph 1.10.4(a/c):inclusionofMalaysiatothe exceptionfor Encashment ofFinancialSecurity.
Paragraph 1.6.2.1 (a): inclusion of a standard Financial Security calculation for Agents electing to remit at a
greater frequency than the frequency approved by PAConf for a country, where no such calculation is
includedintheLocalFinancial Criteria.
Paragraph 1.7.5.2: inclusion of Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the group of countries where six
IrregularitiesarerequiredbeforeaDefault actionistaken.
ii
EFFECTIVE1JUNE2016
Foreword
Paragraph 1.7.6.1: inclusion of a provision for common ownership between two or more Passenger Sales
Agents.
Paragraph 1.7.6.2: for common ownership between a Passenger Agent and a Cargo Agent, removal of the
provisionthatitdoesnotapplytoDefaultsduetoaccumulatedIrregularities.
Paragraph 1.8.1: clarification that no Irregularity will be issued under a Prejudiced Collection of Funds
scenario.
Paragraph 2.3(a):replacementofundefinedtermswiththe definedtermfor FinancialSecurity.
Paragraph 2.3(a): inclusion of provision that the higher amount of the Financial Security calculation following
DefaultbetweenResolution818gAttachment‘A’andtheLocalFinancialCriteriawillapply.
Attachment ‘C’–Reporting & Remittance Exceptions
NewexceptionsforAustralia,China,India, Lithuania, Nepal,ThailandandZambia.
Resolution 820e–Reviews by the Travel Agency Commissioner
Paragraph 3.3.1:removalofthewording “orsuspended”.
Paragraph 3.3.6: removed.
Resolution 844–NewGen ISS Pilot Tests–NEW
A new resolution formalising that IATA can conduct pilots in BSPs for the four NewGen ISS components with
theendorsementofthePassengerAgencyConference SteeringGroup.
Resolution 880–Reduced Fares for Accredited Passenger Sales Agents
Paragraph 11:removalofthewording “orissuspended”.
REFERENCE MARKS USED FOR RESOLUTIONS
Thefollowingsymbolsplacedagainstanitem indicatechangesfromthepreviousedition:
Symbol Meaning
Additionofanewitem
Changetoanitem
Cancellationof anitem
INTENTIONALLY OMITTED sometimes appears in place of a paragraph or subparagraph. This usually
means that the provision in question has been deleted. Renumbering of subsequent provisions is thus
avoided,therebyeasingtheproblemsofconsequentialcross-referencingamendmentsinotherResolutions.
iii
EFFECTIVE1JUNE2016
Travel Agent's Handbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Section 1—Information
AccreditationandAppointmentProcedure .............................................................................................. 1
ChangesWithinanAgencyRequiringPrior IATAApproval .................................................................... 3
Section 2—PassengerAgencyConferenceResolutions—This ispartofthecontractbetween
TravelAgentsandIATAMembers
Resolution
Number
010 InterpretationandHierarchyofRulespertainingtotheSalesAgencyProgramme ......... 4
800a ApplicationFormforAccreditationasanIATAPassengerSalesAgent .......................... 5
800f Agents'FinancialEvaluationCriteria ................................................................................ 9
800x EmergencyChangestoReportingandRemittance.......................................................... 12
800z ElectronicTicketing ........................................................................................................... 13
810z ExtensionofAgencyProgrammeinthePeople'sRepublicofChina................................ 14
818g PassengerSalesAgencyRules ....................................................................................... 15
Section1—AgencyProgrammeJoint Council .................................................................. 16
Section2—Qualificationsfor Accreditation ....................................................................... 18
Section3—Procedures ..................................................................................................... 21
Section4—IssueofStandardTrafficDocuments.............................................................. 23
Section5—lntegrityofStandardTrafficDocuments–Custody,ProtectionandProper
Issuance............................................................................................................................. 24
Section6—Reporting andRemitting ................................................................................ 25
Section7—(IntentionallyLeft Blank) ................................................................................. 26
Section8—ConsequencesofDefault ............................................................................... 26
Section9—Conditionsfor PaymentofCommissionandOtherRemuneration ................ 27
Section10—ChangeofOwnership,LegalStatus,NameorLocation .............................. 27
Section11—ReviewsbytheTravelAgencyCommissioner ............................................. 32
Section12—Arbitration ..................................................................................................... 32
Section13—MeasuresAffectinganAgent'sStanding ..................................................... 33
Section14—AgencyFees ................................................................................................ 34
Section15—IndemnitiesandWaiver ................................................................................ 35
Attachment‘A’—ReportingandRemitting ........................................................................ 36
Attachment‘B’—NoticeofChange ................................................................................... 46
Attachment‘C’—Reporting& RemittanceExceptions ...................................................... 47
820d OfficeofTravelAgencyCommissioner ............................................................................ 48
820e ReviewsbytheTravelAgencyCommissioner ................................................................. 51
822 IATANumericCode .......................................................................................................... 55
824 PassengerSalesAgencyAgreement(VersionII) ............................................................ 56
824a ApplicationoftheTerm‘Commission’ .............................................................................. 60
824c BreachofContractLiabilityApplicabletoIATAAccreditedAgentsinthePeople's
RepublicofChina............................................................................................................... 61
824d DepositReceiptstobeIssuedbyAgents ......................................................................... 61
824r RefundstoAgents ............................................................................................................ 62
828 RemittanceofAmountsCollectedasPartorFullSpecialAdvancePayment
forSpecialFares ............................................................................................................... 62
Table of Contents
Resolution Page
Number
830a ConsequencesofViolationofTicketingandReservationProcedures ............................. 63
830d ReservationsProceduresfor AccreditedAgents .............................................................. 64
838 ChangeofTrafficDocumentsbyAgents .......................................................................... 65
844 NewGenISSPilotTests ................................................................................................... 66
850 BillingandSettlement Plans ............................................................................................. 66
Attachment‘F’—SuspensionofOperationsbyaBSPAirline ........................................... 70
850e IndustrySettlementSystems ............................................................................................ 72
850m IssueandProcessingofAgencyDebitMemos(ADMs) ................................................... 72
850p FinancialSecurities ........................................................................................................... 74
852 DesignationandSelectionofTicketingAirline .................................................................. 75
860a PassengerAgencyProgramme GlobalJointCouncil(PAPGJC) ..................................... 75
862 JointAgentandAirlineConsultativeMeetings ................................................................. 78
866 DefinitionsofTermsUsedinPassengerAgencyProgramme Resolutions...................... 78
868 PassengerAgencyConferenceSteeringGroupandtheAgencyAdministrator .............. 83
878 GeneralConcurrence ........................................................................................................ 85
880 ReducedFaresforAccreditedPassengerSalesAgents ................................................. 87
880a IATATravelAgentIdentity(ID)Card ................................................................................ 93
Attachment‘A’—RecognitionandAcceptanceoftheIATATravelAgent IDCard ........... 94
Attachment‘B’—CountriesWheretheIATATravelAgentIDCardisinCirculation ........ 95
Attachment‘C’—ApplicationForm .................................................................................... 98
884 ReducedFaresforDelegatesAttendingOfficialJointIndustryMeetings ........................ 99
886 Members'GroupVocationalTrainingTripsfor AccreditedPassengerSalesAgents ...... 100
886a ReducedFaresforPassengerAgents(IATA/UFTAAProfessionalExaminations) .......... 102
886p ReducedFareTransportationfor PersonsOfficiallyTravellingtoTravelAgency
CommissionerHearings .................................................................................................... 102
890 CardSalesRules .............................................................................................................. 103
892 DisclosureofPositionsTaken atanIATAMeeting .......................................................... 106
Section 3—LocalFinancialCriteriafortheAccreditationandRetentionofAgents—This is part
of thecontractbetweenTravelAgentsandIATAMembers
LocalFinancialCriteria............................................................................................................................. 107
Travel Agent's Handbook