ARC is currently meeting with and speaking to both airlines and travel agencies to determine the types of changes both groups want ARC to make in order to modernize the accreditation process.
ARC announced last month that the company is undertaking the first major modernization of its accreditation system in 50 years.
Mike Premo, who became ARC's CEO in June, said ARC has “fallen behind the times” in being able to offer airlines transparency on the structure of the travel agencies that sell their tickets."
Agent accreditation, he added, hasn’t been looked at since it was first formed in the 1960s, despite major changes in the way that travel agencies are structured.
“We still have the same home office and branch structure,” Premo said. “That really doesn’t reflect what’s happened in the economic environment in the years intervening.”
Premo said ARC wants to find ways to make it easier for agents to do business with ARC. On that end, he said, it might be to simplify and change the type of paperwork required for mergers and acquisitions.
“It’s an open and sincere effort to get input on how we can simplify the business for everybody, not just airlines,” Premo said.
“We’re definitely trying to look at how we can be more attractive to people that want to sell travel in order to provide them with the tools that they need to make their business profitable and improve the value of our ARC accreditation overall.”
Travel Weekly readers: ARC wants to make it easier for agents to do business with ARC. Give us your suggestions in the comments section below. How should ARC modernize its accreditation process? What programs should it consider doing away with altogether? How can ARC better serve the needs of both travel agents and airlines?