Advantage Travel Centres will simplify the agency-agreement process for members and suppliers by providing standard terms for agreements electronically that apply from the first booking made.
Details of the system will go out next week following agreement between Advantage and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The legal requirement for agency agreements between retailers and suppliers forms a key part of the reformed Atol Regulations which come into force on Monday.
Advantage chief executive John McEwan said: “We have agreed standard agency agreement terms and will put them out to business partners probably next week. We’ll host them on the Advantage intranet.
“It will save a huge amount of time in administration.”
He explained: “It will be incumbent upon members to read the terms, but immediately an agent makes a booking with a preferred supplier they will have accepted those terms.
“This won’t bring in non-preferred suppliers. Then it will be incumbent upon members and suppliers to ensure they have an agreement in place.”
McEwan said: “We deal with more than 140 suppliers so it will bring in the vast majority of [our members’] business.” He added: “It is not just about the convenience. I doubt people would have got agency agreements in place otherwise.”
The agreements are required to clarify the agency status of retailers in dealing with suppliers following introduction of the new Flight-Plus Atol for sales of flights and accommodation.
McEwan was speaking this morning ahead of the opening session of the Advantage conference in Malta where up to 400 consortium members and suppliers have gathered.