New Air Passenger Protection Regulations Impact Ticketing Requirements for Travel Agents

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has announced the new Air Passenger Protection Regulations are now final and will begin taking effect next month. 

“Requirements related to communication, tarmac delays, denied boarding, lost and damaged luggage, and the transportation of musical instruments will come into force on July 15, 2019. The more complex requirements related to flight delays and cancellations will come into force on December 15, 2019.”

Originally referred to as an Air Passenger Bill of Rights, ACTA was part of the consultation process on these regulations  from the beginning and we have already sent a reminder to CTA that we can be helpful in providing any necessary education and training for Members about how the regulations impact Travel Agents and your clients.

At this point, it’s important that our Members understand the new regulations require air carriers to take reasonable measures to ensure that anyone who is authorized to sell tickets in the carrier’s name complies with the Notice requirements to provide information regarding cancellations, delays and denial of boarding as defined in the regulations. It means a change in the contact information you’ll have a duty to provide carriers in the Passenger Name Record (PNR) so that carriers can meet their responsibilities under the regulations. Contact details will have to be included in the PNR, including whether the passenger exercises his or her right not to provide contact details.

While all of the new Protection Regulations are beneficial for travel agents to know, you are obliged to understand your responsibilities in relation to Regulations #5 Notice; # 6 Person Authorized to Sell Tickets; and #13 which deals with communicating with passengers every 30 minutes about cancellations, delays and denial of boarding. Regulation #13 is significant because it ties into the recent change in IATA Resolution 830 d which we advised you about in April, https://www.acta.ca/news-releases/iata0214-2

It’s important to note that the information you will be providing carriers is not to be used by carriers for sales and marketing purposes.

Learn more: https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/consultation/air-passenger-protection-regulations