California Governor Newsom Set to Sign Bills Into Law, U.S. Congress to Consider Resort Fees Bill Soon
Following two votes by its state assembly the week of September 11th, California is a step closer to being the first state to adopt price transparency laws – SB 478 and AB 537– since President Biden announced his efforts to end “junk fees” in his 2023 State of the Union Address. Governor Newsom has until October 14th, 2023 to sign the legislation. Travel Tech supports a single, national price transparency standard to create uniformity and certainty for consumers, lodging operators and travel technology companies.
To assist travel technology industry members in understanding this new legislation, Travel Tech has prepared an informational memo regarding SB 478 and AB 537; current and future federal legislative and regulatory efforts regarding price transparency; and Travel Tech’s advocacy efforts on this issue.
The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
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To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.
On Wednesday, September 20th, the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) submitted supplemental comments in response to supplemental comments by Airlines for America (A4A) regarding the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposed “Enhancing Transparency of Airline Ancillary Service Fees” rulemaking. In these comments, Travel Tech refutes A4A’s assertion that the DOT rulemaking is unnecessary.
“Travel Tech supports the Department’s rulemaking as it has rightly determined that a problem exists for consumers,” said Laura Chadwick, President and CEO, in the comments. “While fees for ancillary services aren’t mandatory, many passengers need to purchase these services. As such, consumers ought to have the ability to know and compare the true cost of their air travel before they purchase it, which includes these critical ancillary fees.”
Furthermore, in response to A4A’s claim that “a healthy market exists today,” Chadwick responds,
“Travel Tech agrees with A4A that contracts between Global Distribution Systems and airlines that include ancillaries are a positive development, but progress has been slow and incomplete and has been happening in the shadow of DOT’s repeated efforts to address the lack of pricing transparency caused by airline unbundling. Travel Tech respectfully urges that now is the time for the Department to act and to effectively address this issue.”
Travel Tech continues to advocate in support of the DOT’s proposed rule, as modified to ensure that all intermediaries who provide fare and schedule data to online ticket and travel agents receive ancillary information from airlines. Doing so will ensure consumers have transparency into the full cost of an airline ticket and won’t be surprised by hidden critical ancillary fees.
The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.
Urges Government of Canada to Modify Actions per Travel Technology Industry Concerns
“In its current state, the proposed DSTA threatens the still-active recovery of the global travel tech marketplace with ambiguous and confusing language,” wrote Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of Travel Tech. “We are eager to work with the Government of Canada to ensure the companies who are required to comply can comply.”
Travel Tech’s comments detail how the proposed DSTA should be modified:
First, the Government of Canada should increase the DSTA threshold to align with OECD Pillar One, Amount A (i.e., EUR 20BN revenue and 10% Profit Before Tax margin). In an industry based on price comparisons, this will ensure companies can maintain their critical price competitiveness.
Second, the Government of Canada should allow a credit for DST, or any similar tax, paid in another jurisdiction to avoid double taxation. As written, the language regarding revenue sourcing rules is ambiguous and confusing, therefore, this addition will ensure clarity about taxation categories.
Finally, the Government of Canada should remove the two-year retroactivity of the DST and apply it only to revenues occurred on or after the date of enactment. A tax of this magnitude should not be backward-looking, especially after years of good-faith negotiation.
Canada is pursuing a 3 percent tax on the revenues of large technology companies as OECD-member nations continue to negotiate a global approach to digital services taxes.
The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.
Ahead of the return of Congress to Washington, D.C. next week, Travel Tech has met with U.S. Senate offices to discuss the airline refund obligations of ticket agents. Late last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), in its proposed Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections rulemaking, sought to require ticket agents to refund customers within seven days, even if the airline had not yet returned the funds.
“Simply put: our members can only refund what they have in their possession. The DOT’s proposed rule on the timing of refunds places ticket agents in a precarious financial position, no matter their size, having to make refunds without first receiving the customers’ funds back from airlines,” said Laura Chadwick, president & CEO of Travel Tech.
“We were pleased the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard us and included this sensible provision in their bill,” Chadwick continued. “We are continuing our efforts to secure a similar provision in the U.S. Senate’s FAA Reauthorization.”
As it stands today, the authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will expire on September 30, 2023. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has not yet considered or cleared its FAA Reauthorization legislation due to an ongoing impasse over pilot training requirements.
Advocating for Federal Legislation Creating Uniform National Privacy Standards
[Arlington, VA] [August 15, 2023] — The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), the voice of the travel technology industry and consistent advocate for public policy that supports a competitive and transparent marketplace, announced it has joined the United for Privacy: End the Patchwork coalition. The purpose of the coalition is to advocate for comprehensive federal privacy legislation that creates a uniform national standard, preempts state law, and ends the privacy patchwork of various state regulations.
“Travel Tech’s members are committed to protecting the personal information of their customers. Trust and transparency are critical in the online travel marketplace, and our members strive every day to meet and surpass consumers’ expectations regarding the use of their personal information,” stated Laura Chadwick, president and CEO of Travel Tech. “However, without clarity and consistency of policy or regulation, innovation is disrupted and marketplace confusion results.”
“We look forward to working with the United for Privacy coalition to advocate for Congress to pass a national framework, consistent across all states and jurisdictions, that effectively preempts state consumer privacy and data security laws,” Chadwick continued. “A comprehensive national data privacy framework will allow businesses and consumers to transact more safely, effectively, fairly, and efficiently.”
Travel Tech joins several leading trade associations in support of the United for Privacy coalition, including the Business Roundtable, US Chamber of Commerce, Consumer Technology Association, NetChoice, and others.
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The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Dan Rene of kglobal at 202-329-8357 or daniel.rene@kglobal.com.
With the recent debut of Apple’s Vision Pro, its new long-awaited augmented and virtual reality headset, interest in the use of immersive technologies – collectively known as “XR” — to support travelers and travel companies alike continues to grow. This cutting-edge technology has the potential to:
Enhance travel discovery by allowing consumers to experience resort accommodations and tourist attractions before they book
In this special Travel Tech webinar, learn more from Cortney Harding, a leading authority on emerging technologies and CEO of the award-winning Friends with Holograms XR creative agency. Harding introduces augmented and virtual reality, how she’s seen the technology grow and develop over the past few years and discusses the potential for XR in the travel industry.
“Ensuring our member companies have a seat at the policymaking table is core to Travel Tech’s mission as the industry’s trade association,” said Laura Chadwick, president & CEO. “Whether it’s at the U.S. Department of Transportation, in the halls of Congress or across the country with state and local policymakers, we make our members’ voices heard as legislation and regulations are developed.”
Like all federal advisory committees, ACPAC provides leaders at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) with access to information and advice on a broad range of issues affecting federal policies and programs. ACPAC was established by Section 411 of the 2012 FAA Reauthorization Act to “advise the Secretary in carrying out activities relating to airline customer service improvements.” Learn more about ACPAC’s past meetings and recommendations.
Membership on ACPAC is set by statute and requires an act of Congress to add a new member. Current membership is limited to a representative from four different groups: air carriers; airport operators; state or local governments with expertise in consumer protection matters; and nonprofit public interest groups with expertise in consumer protection matters.
However, one major group involved in the sale of air transportation and associated consumer protection issues – ticket agents – was inexplicably omitted when the ACPAC was established.
Adding ticket agents to ACPAC will better equip the advisory committee to address growing airline customer service issues. Online ticket agents sell approximately 50% of all airline tickets to consumers every year, putting them in the distinctive position to share a deep knowledge and understanding of refunds, ancillary fees, and cutting-edge technology.
Travel Technology Industry Advocates for Transparency, Supporting Traveler Choice
“Promoting transparency is a top priority for the Travel Technology Association and its members. It is essential that travelers make informed decisions without hidden surprises or unexpected expenses. When travelers have complete pricing details, they can accurately compare different options and make choices that align with their preferences and budget,” stated Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of Travel Tech.
“Public policy that supports clear and upfront information about the total cost of travel early in the planning process and across all booking and advertising channels encourages competitive pricing practices. There should be a single national standard that will create uniformity and certainty for lodging operators, travel technology companies, and most of all, travelers, who will have a better understanding of what is included in advertised prices.
“We look forward to working with Senators Klobuchar and Moran on the Hotel Fees Transparency Act to ensure travelers have the ability to accurately compare different options and make choices that best suit their preferences.”
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The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Dan Rene of kglobal at 202-329-8357 or daniel.rene@kglobal.com.
Inclusion of Travel Technology Industry Priorities Support Travelers and Industry Members
On Thursday, July 20th, the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), the voice of the travel technology industry and consistent advocate for public policy that supports a competitive and transparent marketplace, praised legislators for advancing H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act through the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We are also especially grateful to Rep. Dina Titus and Rep. Gus Bilirakis, chairs of the House Travel & Tourism Caucus, along with Reps. John Garamendi, Marco Molinaro, and Susan Brownley for introducing H.R. 3780, the ACPAC Modernization Act,” said Chadwick. “Due to Rep. Titus’s leadership, ticket agents are one step closer to being able to offer their unique expertise on improving airline customer service.”
H.R. 3780, the ACPAC Modernization Act, was merged into the House-passed FAA Reauthorization bill (H.R. 3935). It will add a ticket agent representative to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC).
Prior to the House vote on H.R. 3935, Travel Tech sent a letter to Congress to express its support for the legislation. Travel Tech’s letter, however, noted its opposition to the inclusion of Section 701 of the bill, which repeals the DOT’s long-standing Full Fare Advertising Rule. This rule requires that the entire price for airfare, including taxes and fees, be disclosed to consumers in the first instance following an itinerary search.
Laura Chadwick, Travel Tech’s President & CEO, argued that “Its repeal will undermine consumers’ ability to effectively comparison shop and choose the best travel option to meet their needs and budget.”
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The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Dan Rene of kglobal at 202-329-8357 or daniel.rene@kglobal.com.
On Wednesday, July 19th, the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) sent a letter to Congress to express its support for H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, in advance of the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote on the legislation later this week. H.R. 3935 will reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and related aviation programs for the next five years. It includes several key provisions sought by Travel Tech to improve airline travel for consumers and support the Travel Tech member companies that serve them.
Travel Tech’s letter, however, noted its opposition to the inclusion of Section 701 of the bill, which repeals the DOT’s long-standing Full Fare Advertising Rule. This rule requires that the entire price for airfare, including taxes and fees, be disclosed to consumers in the first instance following an itinerary search. Laura Chadwick, Travel Tech’s President & CEO, argued that, “Its repeal will undermine consumers’ ability to effectively comparison shop and choose the best travel option to meet their needs and budget.”
Travel Tech Announces Support for FAA Reauthorization Bill Ahead of House Vote
December 18, 2024 – Today, Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, released the following statement in response to the issuance of the Federal Trade Commission’s final Junk Fee rule and the inclusion of S.2498, the Hotel Fees Transparency Act in the Continuing Resolution to be passed by Congress by the end […]
