COMPUTERISED RESERVATION SYSTEMS (14526/07)
Letter from the Chairman to Jim Fitzpatrick
MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport
Thank you for the clear and concise EM concerning
Computerised Reservation Systems. It was considered by Sub-Committee
B at its meeting of 14 January 2008 and was cleared from scrutiny.
The Committee would, however, be grateful for further
information on how the Government intends to ensure that sufficient
safeguards are retained to take account of the involvement of
Air France, Lufthansa and Iberia in the Amadeus CRS.
16 January 2008
Letter from Jim Fitzpatrick MP to the
Chairman
I write further to Explanatory Memorandum 14526/07
submitted on 10 December 2007, and to your subsequent request
for further information on appropriate parent carrier provisions
in the proposed Regulation.
Negotiations in Working Group have progressed well,
and I am pleased to report that provisions on parent carriers
were maintained without any amendments to the Commission's proposed
safeguards in Article 10. This reflects the UK's position and
provides a safeguard in Article 10. This reflects the UK's position
and provides a safeguard against potential anti-Computerised Reservation
System (CRS) vendors, such as in the involvement of Air France,
Lufthansa and Iberia in the Amadeus CRS.
There was broad consensus in Working Group on
the revision of this Code of Conduct. The key amendments are welcome
to the Government. These changes include a reference to compatibility
with the increased fare transparency requirements set out in the
Regulation on common rules for the operation of air transport
services in the Community, which was the subject of EM 11829/06
and is expected to be adopted before long as a second reading
deal. A requirement to clearly identify flights operated by air
carriers subject to an operating ban pursuant to the `Air Safety
Committee's blacklist' [Regulation (EC) 2111/2005] was also introduced,
with the aim of making such information clearly available to the
agent and consumer at the point of booking.
On the issue of Marketing Information Date Tapes
(MIDT), opinion differs on whether travel agencies should be identified
(as supported by airlines and CRS) or whether they should remain
anonymous (as requested by travel agents). The Council adopted
a compromise stance on this issue, allowing for agency identification
only where the subscriber and the system vendor agree to conditions
for its appropriate use. We believe that this provides a safeguard
against the anti-competitive use of such data, whilst allowing
access to a potentially valuable source of information.
Amendments were also introduced on the rules
applicable to principal displays, in order to provide the subscriber
with choice over whether flight options should be displayed according
to fares or the most direct connection. Detail regarding the order
of such rankings has also been added with the aim of providing
the subscriber with a fair choice of travel options, and to encourage
the display of direct train services alongside air travel options.
The proposal will be put to the Transport Council
on 7-8 April 2008, where it is hoped that a General Approach will
be reached. The European Parliament's Rapporteur is currently
considering this issue. It is expected that the report will be
debated in TRAN Committee in early April, and voted on at the
end of May, before being considered at plenary in June or July.
We will continue to work towards a constructive agreement which
we hope will reflect the UK's key priorities for this Regulation.
I hope that this update is useful. I will of
course keep you informed of future developments.
12 March 2008
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