ASTA’s position is clear: Travel agents do not have to pay for ticket refunds if they do not have the funds.
However, in late April, the DOT finalized rules expanding the circumstances under which airline passengers are entitled to refunds for their tickets, with new rules requiring ticket salespeople who are the sellers of record to pay refunds. became part of.
Although the FAA’s reauthorization bill partially addresses this issue to ASTA’s satisfaction, ASTA is considering implementing the bill to ensure that the agency is not at risk of a refund if it does not have the funds. would like to be corrected.
Now, the association is calling on travel advisors to lobby their legislators to support an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill that would do just that. The amendment comes from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Advisors can use ASTA’s online grassroots portal to send messages to their legislators or use the phone scripts created by ASTA to call their legislators. The association encouraged advisors to customize scripts based on their own experiences.
ASTA said calls to contact lawmakers are specifically aimed at advisers in Washington, Illinois, Kansas, Texas and New York. Representatives from those states would make final decisions on the bill and the amendment process.
ASTA said the call to action is urgent.
“The amendment process and timeline are largely unknown at this time. It is therefore even more important that ASTA member states demonstrate strong support for this amendment,” the association said in its advocacy alert.