ACTA is very pleased to learn that American Airlines has rescinded its scheduled policy to
stop issuing loyalty points on travel agent bookings following significant advocacy efforts by ACTA, the
American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), and the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA).
The proposed policy change would have had an extremely detrimental impact on the retail travel
community, limiting traveller loyalty points accrual to bookings made by “preferred” agencies and direct
bookings only.
Earlier this year, the airline said it would limit some travel agency bookings from being eligible for AAdvantage frequent flyer miles.
"We moved faster than we should have and didn’t execute well,” said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom Wednesday morning at an investor conference. “We regret that and the difficulty it created for our agency and corporate communities.”
“ACTA expresses its sincere gratitude to all members who actively engaged in the advocacy initiatives,
as their participation was instrumental in achieving this positive outcome,” said Wendy Paradis, ACTA
President. “ While this development represents a significant victory for the retail travel sector, ACTA
remains committed to maintaining a vigilant stance in protecting its members against any future actions
or policies that may pose a threat to their business operations.”
She added: “ACTA recognizes the importance of safeguarding the interests of its members and will
persist in its advocacy efforts on their behalf.”
The association will maintain its close collaboration with ASTA, WTAAA, and other key players to ensure
that the concerns of the retail travel community are effectively communicated and addressed at the
highest levels of the industry.
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