Travel Agents Decry DOT Proposed Grant of Antitrust Immunity for Star

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(Business Wire)--
In a statement released in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation`s
tentative decision to extend antitrust immunity to Star Alliance airlines (Air
Canada, Austrian, bmi, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, Swiss, TAP and United) plus
Continental Airlines, a spokesperson for ASTA and the Interactive Travel
Services Association (ITSA), said:

"ASTA and ITSA are alarmed that the Department would permit huge airlines to
combine their bargaining power against both traditional and online travel
agents, which have brought transparency, innovation, and lower fares directly to
consumers. If finalized, this broad grant of immunity could be used to undermine
independent travel distributors, which are critical to promoting airline
competition and consumer welfare. The result will be fewer choices and higher
prices for consumers. In the face of unprecedented airline consolidation and
demands for extraordinary protection from the antitrust laws, the federal
government needs to be more vigilant, not less, in protecting the traveling
public."

ASTA and ITSA indicated they will be filing objections to the Show Cause Order
within the 21-day deadline period.

ITSA is the trade association for online travel companies and global
distributions systems, and is their voice on matters of public policy.

The mission of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is to facilitate the
business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge
and the enhancement of professionalism. ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace
that is profitable and growing and a rewarding field in which to work, invest
and do business.

American Society of Travel Agents
Kristina Rundquist, 703-739-8710
or
Laura Gajewski, 703-739-8710

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