WASHINGTON -- ARC proposed to allow accredited travel agencies to
acquire multiple agency code numbers for their corporate accounts
or Internet ticket fulfillment services -- and operate up to 20 of
them on the same premises with the same staff.
They also could share the same on- and off-premise ticket stock
storage facilities, such as the same safe and bank box.
Eventually, ARC expects the agency's operations that share the
same premises would be able to use the same ticket stock and
printers.
The proposal to allow agencies to have "centralized service
locations" was approved by ARC's joint agent-airline advisory board
and now goes to the airline-only board of directors for final
action in early June.
Assuming it is approved by the board of directors, full details
will become available.
The new type of office could take effect early in the third
quarter, according to Jeannine Rahel, ARC manager of corporate
travel departments and electronic commerce.
Rahel said the proposal is an amalgamation of different ideas
that came from on-line agencies, mega-agencies and small agencies
involved in outsourcing.
The "longest running request" was from agents who wanted to cut
costs by operating multiple agency code numbers at one location,
according to Barry Lemley, ARC director of accreditation and
database management. Currently, such an agent would have to
construct different office suites, each with its own staff and
ticket stock, to comply with ARC rules.
Under the proposal, the agent could operate up to 20 such
outfits with the same staff and on- and off-premise ticket stock
storage facilities.
The proposal is a variation of an existing program under which
two or more agencies can share the same premises as a way to cut
costs by sharing the overhead. But these agencies are different
legal entities, each with its own accreditation and ARC
responsibilities, that just happen to be located in the same
office.