TORONTO — ACTA is working to protect its travel advisor members – by calling for commission protection in the wake of the Cuba cancellations by airlines and tour operators.
“The withdrawal of services to Cuba by several Canadian carriers is creating immediate and significant disruption for travellers, as well as for the travel agencies and travel advisors working to support them,” said ACTA President, Suzanne Acton-Gervais.
She added that ACTA is calling on its airline and supplier partners to ensure clear and timely communication, flexible policies and the protection of agency and advisor commissions.
Travel advisors Travelweek spoke to this morning outlined the challenges of helping clients in or booked to Cuba, a situation compounded by commission recalls.
As reported, Sunwing Vacations and Transat are recalling commissions. An Air Canada spokesperson confirmed to Travelweek that Air Canada is also doing recalls.
“We value our travel agency partners and the support they give us. However, our longstanding policy is that in cases of both voluntary and involuntary cancellations we do recall our commissions. While there are instances where we decide not to under specific goodwill policies, those exceptions are only in rare instances,” he said.
“SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE ACROSS THE ENTIRE SYSTEM”
A mass repatriation is underway to bring back more than 10,000 Canadians currently in Cuba as passengers of Air Canada / ACV, the WestJet Group including WestJet, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations, and Air Transat / Transat. The move comes amid Cuba’s warning of fuel shortages for aircraft refuelling at nine of Cuba’s biggest airports, and also amid heightened warnings against travel to Cuba from the Canadian government.
ACTA says it is closely monitoring recent decisions by Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet to suspend their flights to Cuba and is assessing the impact on travel agencies, travel advisors and their clients.
“Cuba has long been an important and accessible destination for Canadian travellers,” said Acton-Gervais. “Because of these sudden changes, thousands of Canadians are now facing rebookings, destination changes or cancellations. This underscores the importance of working with professional travel agencies and travel advisors.”
As she noted, “agencies and advisors advocate for their clients, find alternatives, navigate supplier policies and manage complex re-accommodation efforts in a constantly evolving situation.”
ACTA notes that as peak travel season continues, the suspension of services to a major sun destination like Cuba adds substantial pressure across the entire system. Large-scale re-accommodation requires coordination between airlines, tour operators, hotels and insurers, and imposes a significant additional workload on agencies and advisors nationwide.
In addition to calling for commission protection, timely communication and flexible policies, ACTA says equally important is the availability of high-quality self-service tools that allow agencies and advisors to efficiently manage changes, access inventory, process refunds and make new bookings directly through reservation platforms, rather than facing lengthy hold times.
As ACTA notes, “these requests are not new.”
“Travel agencies and travel advisors dedicate considerable time and expertise to helping affected clients,” added Acton-Gervais. “They need to be equipped with high-quality self-service tools and supported with fair compensation for the critical work they are doing throughout this disruption.”
The situation in Cuba and its impact on the Canadian travel industry and consumers highlights the importance of comprehensive travel insurance, added Acton-Gervais. “Unexpected destination changes highlight the value of appropriate travel insurance coverage. Agencies and advisors help travellers understand their options and choose policies that provide meaningful protection and peace of mind.”
She said ACTA will continue to monitor the situation closely and remains committed to advocating for travel agencies and travel advisors, and to supporting its members as they navigate this evolving situation.
Lead image caption: Suzanne Acton-Gervais, President, ACTA
