Brussels, Belgium, April 6, 2009–The World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA) fully supports the call by the Business Travel Coalition (BTC) for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to adhere to the new European CRS Code of Conduct in relation to the sale of distribution system information through the IATA PaxIS product.

"European regulators clearly had PaxIS in mind when, as part of the European CRS Code of Conduct, they inserted Article 7.3, providing that the marketing rules on booking and sales data apply equally to the supply of such data by CRS companies 'to any other party for use by that party other than for billing settlement'," said WTAAA Chair Mike Hatton.

As a result of Article 7.3, agents must not be identified in either CRS Management Information Data Tapes (MIDT) or the IATA PaxIS program marketed to global airlines.

To date, IATA has not indicated that it will comply with the European CRS Code of Conduct, and there does not appear to be any evidence that the new CRS Code of Conduct has been applied by IATA to the PaxIS product.

WTAAA fully supports not only the call by BTC for full compliance by IATA, but also supports the initiative of MEP Brian Simpson to force such disclosure.

National travel agency trade associations interested in joining WTAAA are asked to contact Mike Hatton through the "About Us" contact form at www.WTAAA.org.