The Universal Federation of Travel Agents’ Association (Uftaa) is challenging Lufthansa’s controversial plan to impose a €16 fee for GDS bookings.
The trade body pledged to “strongly oppose” any attempt to circumvent current Iata resolutions and ticketing rules.
Uftaa “seriously questions the legitimacy” of using the transportation document or the Iata Billing and Settlement Plan system for the airline’s commercial benefit.
“It is totally improper to mix two distinctly separate commercial activities,” the organisation said.
“It is in our opinion, in conflict with the current Iata resolutions, as would any other similar practice be which is not directly related to the transportation.
“Equally, Uftaa is of thre opinion that billing the reservation fee through the Iata BSP is not an acceptable avenue.
“The Iata resolution clearly states that ADMs should not be raised for collection of administration fees but only be used to collect amounts or make adjustments to agent transactions in respect of the issuance and use of traffic documents.”
Lufthansa announced in early June that it will add a €16 Distribution Cost Charge to GDS bookings of Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines flights from September 1.
Lufthansa vice-president for sales and services in Europe, Heike Birlenbach, told the Advantage Focus Champions conference in Frankfurt earlier this month: “It does not mean we are going to take over agency tasks, but we would like to challenge the GDSs.
“We’ve been in talks with the GDSs a long time [and] we don’t see enough technological developments. If we don’t move now, others could move in.”