A GLOBAL AND LEGAL OVERVIEW OF TRAVEL AGENT REPRESENTATIVES 579 Here is an example already applied by the airline Lufthansa with the collection of the so-calledDistributionCost Charge (DCC), charging a fee of approximately 16.00 € if a travel agency makes a reservation and issues it through a GDS. Other airlines, in recent years, have also signalled the same intention, all with approximate values to the value presented by the German airline. It happens that the practice put forward by those airlines has been radically opposed in several places, especially in Europe and South America, as well as among themselves, with claims being made to antitrust bodies. 2.4.ThePositionof theMainAssociationsRepresentingTravel AgenciesWorldwide The World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA) – a global travel agency representation entity that aggregates associations of travel agent representations from 63 countries – had its top members consulted about the NDC, with placements – some more neutral, others more opposition –, regarding the application and future of the ‘concept’ created by IATA. Considering a survey carried out by IATA Brazil on the possibility of the Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies (ABAV) to declare support to the NDC, a response was sent to IATA by ABAV, through the latter’s legal adviser, Marcelo Marcos de Oliveira (author of the present article): “Considering ABAV’s relationship as a member of FOLATUR andWTAAA, it is not possible for us to come forward with a declaration of support for NDC, without alignment with our global partners. I even mentioned to him that as we will have a new PAPGJC next, that by then ABAV would check the possibility of a global conclusion on the topic”. This request for support was then forwarded by ABAV to all other WTAAA members so that they would be aware of IATA’s request in Brazil, and then to express their views on the subject. The answers from the heads of each entity were collected and are going to be presented in the continuation of this work. 1. From the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators’ Association (ECTAA), the response came from Mr Michel de Blust, the association’s General Secretary, who replied: “(…) Thank you for your mail and informing about the request of IATA to ABAV to support NDC. We understand that IATA is seeking support from all possible industry stakeholders.
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