AGENTS are warning operators to keep their hands off
valuable customer information needed to comply with tougher US security
measures.
Planned extensions to US Advanced Passenger
Information System rules will require airlines to send passenger contact
details, including home addresses, to the US authorities 72 hours in advance of
departure.
Charter carriers and operators will have
to rely on agents to send clients’ information, but agents fear operators will
use the data to approach customers direct. Although rules exist to prevent
misuse of data, many fear they are weak and open to abuse.
Midconsort chief executive Charles Eftichiou said: “I
don’t know if the data protection authorities have sufficient powers. The
number of times we have had our customers contacted direct by the operator is
unbelievable. This is open to abuse.”
Eftichiou called for strict rules to govern the
transfer of data and “severe penalties” if the information is abused.
His call was echoed by DP&L Travel director Graham
James. “We need strict guarantees,” he said. “This is something I would not be
comfortable with because it could be abused.”
Dykes Travel managing partner Geoff Dykes said: “I
would have an issue with it. We may not have a choice, but I’d prefer not to
give details to the operator.”
Dykes called for a system similar to the Australian
Electronic Travel Authority, in which data is sent direct to the immigration
authorities.
ABTA, the Federation of Tour Operators and charter
airlines have formed a working party to draw up guidelines on how the
information will be used and devise a data transfer system.
FTO director general Andy Cooper said: “We are working
with ABTA to get guidelines sorted out because there needs to be trust here.
It’s vital the information gets through.”
Thomas Cook head of public affairs George
Blundell-Pound warned bookings would not be accepted without the information.
“It will require some degree of confidence on agents’ part.”
The passenger contact details requirement is expected
to be imposed within two years.
Charter airlines already face
lengthy airport queues when APIS Plus rules requiring data to be sent within 15
minutes of a flight’s departure are introduced this winter. Charters will
collect this information at airports.