OP-ED: An Open, But Shut Case For The Open Travel Alliance

<B> OP-ED: An Open, But Shut Case For The Open Travel Alliance</B>

By Bruce Bishins

<hr><i>Bruce Bishins is president and CEO of the United States Travel Agent Registry, the U.S. proponent of the Genesis Travel Distribution System.</i><hr>The "OpenTravel" initiative of the Air Transport Association to create a new syntax and message standard format for travel e-commerce is both commendable and troubling. Any improvements to archaic protocols, particularly those which would enable increased functionality, enhance productivity and create better facilitation of Internet marketing and sales opportunities should be supported by all who stand to benefit. However, while the ATA initiative is laudable, the manner in which it has been launched is disappointing. Leaders of the OpenTravel Alliance claim that the proposed standards will benefit travel agencies and CRSs with opportunities to better serve their customers. The Alliance even says it encourages agency and CRS participation. Yet, it did not have the courtesy to invite agencies or CRSs to any of its planning or organizational meetings.

The Alliance's own documentation uses phrases such as "communicating directly with suppliers," "reach new categories of consumers," "buying outside the channel," and "exclusive of third-party intermediaries." These sound bites give rise to deep concerns that the real agenda may be to set the stage for agency and CRS bypass.

Furthermore, airlines, through ATA, have already attempted to control agency presence on and leverage of Web booking tools. They have successfully implemented arcane and restrictive data tagging requirements for Web bookings (ERSP) and are desperate to convince most credit card companies to overburden SET standards by creating discriminatory requirements for Internet payments and settlement.

Now, the same ATA proposes to build the syntax that will serve as the standard for travel data exchange and doesn't even have the courtesy to seek our input. The Alliance said it may embrace revenue opportunities by "licensing" the syntax. To whom? How much? We are deeply concerned that the Alliance will seek to own and license the new standards to the detriment of the agency distribution system, creating technical barriers to the normal conduct of agency operations and requiring mandatory exchange of data elements that agencies consider private and proprietary.

The privacy issues of data sharing, data mining and data commerce that could potentially arise from the Alliance's activities are already raising eyebrows at the National Consumers' League. If travel agencies think data privacy is being compromised through unauthorized collection of CRS booking data and the exploitation of MIDT, ARC and BSP data, the Alliance's initiative has the potential of exacerbating the situation.

While USTAR and Genesis wish to be supportive of new standards and technology platforms that benefit all players, we also need to assure that the fox is not the only one guarding the hen house. We need to assure that the new Alliance not compromise the integrity, mechanics, or technical thresholds that embrace the existing environment and the future environment in which travel agencies will participate. So, the Alliance needs to make a simple correction: include travel agency representatives on all working groups and the board of directors; be responsive to the concerns of travel agencies; keep the Alliance's activities public and open to all who choose to participate; and create no barrier or process that favors one channel over another. Until it does, "OpenTravel" remains all but closed.