Alexandria, VA – The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is praising yesterday’s introduction of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) Modernization Act (H.R. 3780) in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Julia Brownley (D-CA). This bipartisan bill would expand the ACPAC’s membership by adding a dedicated travel agency seat on this key advisory body within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

“We commend Congresswoman Titus and her colleagues for recognizing that adding a travel agency representative to this key committee will enhance the work and effectiveness of the ACPAC,” said Zane Kerby, ASTA’s President & CEO. “Advocating for airline consumers is what travel advisors do every day, and roughly half of all airline tickets in the U.S. are sold through the agency channel. Giving these small business owners, 70 percent of whom are women, an elevated voice in the DOT regulatory process will help the Department meet its consumer protection mission.”

Created by Congress in 2012, the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) is an advisory body at DOT responsible for evaluating existing aviation consumer protection programs and providing recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation for improving existing and establishing additional aviation consumer protection programs. Pursuant to statute, ACPAC membership today consists of one representative each of U.S. airlines, consumer groups, airports and state or local governments.

ASTA has been an active participant in the committee’s work since its inception in 2012, which has covered a wide range of consumer topics, including ticket refunds, baggage issues, codeshare flights, transparency in airline ancillary fees and flight delays. The five most recent ACPAC meetings, starting in December 2021, have centered around two major DOT regulatory proposals – on ticket refunds and transparency in airline fees – that will have a substantial impact on the business operations of travel agencies, whatever their final forms take. Expanding the ACPAC through the addition of a travel agency seat is among ASTA’s top priorities for this year’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization process wherein Congress will reevaluate and reset federal aviation policy through 2028.

“Giving travel advisors a seat at the ACPAC table will bring to the committee valuable insights that are missing today, especially in terms of the real-world impacts of complex proposals pending before DOT,” said Eben Peck, ASTA’s Executive Vice President, Advocacy. “We are grateful to Congresswoman Titus for taking up this fight on behalf of the more than 2,200 travel advisors in Nevada and throughout the broader industry, and will do everything in our power to see H.R. 3780 through to enactment.”

The ACPAC Modernization Act will be among the policy issues an estimated 250 travel advisors and suppliers from all 50 states take to Capitol Hill later this month during the sold-out ASTA Legislative Day 2023 (June 20-21).