FAIRFAX, Va. -- Travel agent arbiter William McGee held a Texas
agency responsible for a ticketing violation by its after-hours
agency service.
As a sanction, McGee issued a cease-and-desist order against
Jeffrey Howard Shore (doing business as P&M Travel Group) of
Dallas, as requested by the Airlines Reporting Corp.
The violation occurred because P&M Travel's after-hours
service used ARC ticket stock to issue the agency's tickets on US
Airways, which had revoked the agency's appointment.
P&M Travel said its service was aware of the carrier's
action and issued the tickets by mistake.
The agency argued that it should not be sanctioned because US
Airways was paid and "sustained no damage."
The agency also argued that it did not violate the ARC contract,
a statement that prompted McGee to conclude that "a
cease-and-desist order is an appropriate remedy."
He said the order "will place both [agencies] on notice that any
future such behavior could [lead to] more serious action in this
forum."
In another case, McGee issued a cease-and-desist order against
World Wide Discount Travel Inc. of Miami for using ARC stock to
ticket Continental after the carrier revoked its appointment last
January.
The agency "disputes Continental's authority to terminate its
appointment and has to date failed to surrender the identification
plate," McGee said.
He noted that the ARC contract permits an airline to terminate
its relationship with an agency upon written notice and prohibits
the agency's using ARC stock to ticket that carrier.
He said any dispute between World Wide Discount Travel and
Continental "is distinct from ARC's entitled remedy in this matter,
which is to protect the integrity of its own documents held in
trust by the agent."
He ordered World Wide Discount Travel to surrender Continental's
plate immediately.