ASTA Targets Credit Card Chargebacks, Talks COVID-19 Testing to ‘Restore Confidence’
byDaniel McCarthy/
The passing of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, on Friday marked a big win for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). The bill, and the inclusion of travel advisors in the stimulus, provides some immediate relief for agency owners, advisors and independent contractors (ICs) who have been hard-hit by COVID-19’s impact on the travel industry.
在周一的每周网络研讨会上,ASTA高管聚集在一起回顾该法案,并确认随着COVID-19-19的大流行的继续发展,它将继续为其成员以及整个行业倡导。
While ASTA said it will be in contact with Congressional representatives as more bills start forming on Capitol Hill, President and CEO Zane Kerby told attendees that the association will now set it sites on another problem, one that has plagued advisors before the COVID-19 epidemic and has now been exacerbated by it—credit card chargebacks.
根据ARC的数据,2019年旅行顾问向消费者出售了超过3亿美元的机票,这是创纪录的一年。顾问从客户到航空公司将售票员销售从客户销售到航空公司,但是现在,随着旅行景观的巨大变化,收入流的“逆转课程和收入现在正朝着相反的方向流动”。
“But, many consumers are not satisfied with an airline offer of credit rather than a refund. Instead of accepting the credit, they are increasingly disputing the charge with their credit card company,” he added.
通常,根据与TMR交谈的顾问和代理商高管的说法,信用卡公司将争议带回了航空公司,然后将其转变为借方备忘录并将其传递给该机构。该机构没有机会通过常规借方备忘录来参与争议,航空公司没有将该机构视为交易中的一方。
在Covid-19之前,代理商正在通过对自己的飞行经验不满意的客户获得退款,例如,如果客户从头等舱中脱颖而出,他们可能会向信用卡公司质疑该票证的费用它向代理机构。
现在,由于消费者无法获得退款,而是获得了一些航空公司受到Covid-19的影响的航空公司,因此他们正在提出原始费用,以尝试并确保其原始付款。
While Kerby said ASTA is not unsympathetic to their airline partners, “ASTA cannot sit idly by while the consumer suffers and ASTA members are penalized by debit memos under their extraordinary circumstances brought by the coronavirus pandemic.”
ASTA has flagged the issue with the Department of Transportation and “will take whatever action possible on behalf of our members to resolve these and related issues as the need arises,” Kerby said.
“We call on the airline community to do what is right—protect the traveler by offering a refund action on all tickets during this unusual, once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and allow travel agencies to manage the travel agencies they booked without the threat of a credit card chargeback or subsequent debit memo.”
病毒测试
During Monday’s webinar, Kerby also said that he, along with ASTA, believes that virus testing is going to become a part of the industry’s immediate future.
“The coronavirus pandemic has revealed that what people may carry in the form of illness may be as or more dangerous than what they could carry in their suitcases.”
FDA本周末授权从雅培实验室进行15分钟的测试,该测试预计下周将每天从每天进行50,000次测试。该消息表明,测试技术正在越来越接近实时,这意味着测试可能会更快地而不是迟到,并且可以帮助恢复一些信念。
“Testing will be part of the equation for restoring faith in the travel ecosystem,” Kerby said. “When the time is right, be sure to know that ASTA will be at the table advocating for common sense solutions to help consumers feel confident in traveling again.”
ASTA将继续为其所有成员进行周一的网络研讨会,并将继续更新其客户只能COVID-19网页.