ARTA Welcomes Farelogix
Baggage Calculation Tool

Baggage Fees and Rules Made Even More Transparent
as Travel Technology Providers Leverage
Greater Direct Data Access 

Scottsdale, Arizona - 18 October 2011: The Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA) welcomed the launch of Farelogix's IFlyBags.com (www.iflybags.com), an intuitive, online baggage allowance and fee calculator.

The tool allows for direct consultation by travel agencies for inclusion in traveller itineraries or as an embedded link on agency web sites. The raw baggage data comes from ATPCO baggage rules and fee information for some 300 airlines and is updated several times a day. The data supports the airline industry and IATA Resolution 302 by providing travel sellers with a comprehensive database of airlines’ baggage policies.

The tool will also help travel agencies meet DOT compliance rules regarding baggage information disclosure.

"This is very welcome news to help agents capture and disseminate accurate baggage information for travellers. It also proves that travel technology providers which choose to work constructively with the airline industry can produce useful and cost-effective tools to support and enhance the travel agency distribution channel. With no contracts, no term commitments and no productivity thresholds, these types of programs are precisely what travel agents want", said ARTA Managing Director Bruce Bishins, CTC.

Farelogix also intends to integrate IFlyBags into its SPRK travel agency desktop before the end of 2011. ARTA, ARTA Canada, ATPCO, and Farelogix are allied members of the Open AXIS Group, an organization which promotes XML standards as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity, including direct connections.

About ARTA  

ARTA has always been at the forefront of those industry changes which have strengthened the agency community. Founded in 1963, and for the past 48 years, the Association of Retail Travel Agents is the largest non-profit association in North America which represents retail travel agents exclusively.

ARTA is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. ARTA is the strategic partner of Canadian-based ARTA Canada. For more information about ARTA, please visit www.arta.travel.