ABTAhas written to airlines accusing them of breaking International Air Transport Association resolutions by refusing to pay commission on Passenger Service Charges.
The association has asked carriers to outline their position after it took legal advice on the matter.
ABTAchief executive Ian Reynolds said:”The PSC is clearly not a tax. It’s a regular charge payable by airlines and it’s part of the applicable fare. The IATAresolutions state that commission should be paid on the applicable fare. This is part of the contract that airlines undertake with our members.”
Guild of Business Travel Agents chairman Don Lunn said the GBTA would back ABTA. “If ABTA has taken legal advice and this is what it was told, it has our full support,” he said.
The GBTA was due to discuss PSC at a meeting yesterday.
Airlines separated PSC from fares from February 1 for travel from April 1, claiming they were bringing the UKin line with the rest of Europe. ABTAawaits their responses.