Asata investigates Lufthansa distribution charge

ASATA is engaging with
Lufthansa on the airline’s
controversial €16 (R242)
charge for bookings through
the GDS.
Otto de Vries, Asata ceo,
told delegates at the
Serendipity Worldwide Group
(SWG) conference that Asata
had been lobbying on behalf
of travel agents, and was in
talks with Iata. “Lufthansa’s
implementation of the DCC
has not only upset our
industry; it has also upset
customers extensively.”
Asata is striving to regulate
the use of the YQ/YR box,
through which Lufthansa is
currently collecting the DCC.
Otto explained: “The YR/
YQ box was created to allow
agents to collect third-party
government taxes. Because
it’s not regulated by a
resolution, airlines can use it
for other charges as well. We
want to correct that.
“If we’re going to collect
money on behalf of
government, it needs to be
done in a coded manner that
everyone understands. If the
airlines wish to collect any
other money, they have OA, OB
and OC boxes to do that.”
Otto added that the industry
should expect other airlines to
follow suit. “Don’t think that
other airlines aren’t looking
closely at this and not seeing
it as a way to enforce a shift in
distribution,” he said, warning
this would be extremely
disruptive for the travel
industry. “If other airlines start
doing this, it’s going to be a
very unhealthy space for all of
us. It is so important that we
fight this.”