Canada's travel agency commissioner reinstated a Vancouver firm that IATA had terminated in November for violating rules governing use of IATA's numeric codes.
The dispute, involving BNW Travel Management, resembles the pending dispute between IATA and YTB Travel Network in the U.S.
IATA accused the Vancouver agency of violating its rule that states the codes cannot be "lent, subcontracted or hired to a third party." The resolution also states the codes cannot be used for "identification or other purpose on a proprietary product of any third party without express authorization to do so by IATA."
In its termination letter to YTB, IATA accused the agency of lending, subcontracting or hiring the numeric code to others and ordered the agency to cease using the code in connection with any form of ID or credentials.
YTB has taken its case to the travel agency commissioner in the U.S., where it is pending.
Meanwhile, while the commissioner in Canada declined to uphold BNW's termination, he stated the agency is forbidden to use the IATA name, logo or code on any in-house ID cards without IATA's approval.
He also ordered BNW to recall all in-house identity cards that carry the IATA name and/or code and destroy them.
IATA 'respectfully disagrees'
In Canada, IATA termination means the affected agency can't issue tickets that are settled through the IATA bank settlement plan. In the event of an ARC termination in the U.S., YTB or any U.S. agency, when canceled by IATA, can still issue tickets and settle through ARC's settlement system.
In a press statement, IATA said it "respectfully disagrees" with parts of the commissioner's decision.
However, it said the decision "makes crystal clear that no person or entity has the right to display the IATA numeric code or IATA's trademarks and service marks on in-house ID cards or other credentials."
BNW executives did not return telephone calls. However, the agency, as a member of the BNI Canada networking group, described its "travel consultant program" at the BNI Web site by saying "any individual from anywhere in the world" can become a BNW affiliate or outside travel agent and have access to industry benefits for personal travel plus commissions for referring customers to the agency.
To contact the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Nadine Godwin at [email protected].