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ARTA and ARTA Canada Seek Talks with United Airlines
Scottsdale, Arizona and Toronto, Canada, 24 July 2009: The Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA) and the Association of Retail Travel Agents - Canada (ARTA Canada) announced today that they have jointly written to Dave Myrick, Vice President, Sales - Americas, at United Airlines seeking to open constructive dialogue in the matter of United's shift of credit card merchant status to various travel agents.
"We feel it's important to speak with each other, not at each other, to identify the specific issues and work collaboratively to solve them", said Pat Funk, Executive Director of ARTA.
The two associations were prompted by United's overtures to enter into discussions with the travel agency community to determine if there are viable and mutually-acceptable solutions to address the challenges of distribution and payment costs facing United and travel agents.
"Addressing this matter along with our U.S. counterpart in a sit-down with United will be essential in sharing the concerns of Canadian travel agencies which fear the credit card policy may eventually cross into Canada. We wish to work with United in any way we can to achieve a satisfactory result which will benefit both agents and the carrier", said Bruce Bishins, CTC, President of ARTA Canada.
ARTA and ARTA Canada have put together a combined working group of U.S. and Canadian travel agency representatives, ready to meet with United as soon as possible on behalf of the travel agency community-at-large on both sides of the border.
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 46 years, the Association of Retail Travel Agents is the largest non-profit association in North America that represents 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 contact Ms. Pat Funk, ARTA's Executive Director, at 1-800-969-6069 or by e-mail to pat@artaonline.com.
About ARTA Canada
ARTA Canada is the largest non-profit federally incorporated professional association of travel retailers in Canada, the members of which consist exclusively of travel agencies and travel agents. In addition to advocating fair and equitable treatment of travel consumers, ARTA Canada represents the commercial and strategic interests of its member travel agencies and travel agents in a variety of national and provincial domains including regulatory and legislative matters, automation, technology, sales and marketing, and distribution.
ARTA Canada is the strategic partner in Canada of the U.S.-based Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA). ARTA Canada is the Canadian member of UFTAA, the United Federation of Travel Agents' Associations. To join ARTA Canada, complete details and online membership application and secure payment are available on the ARTA Canada web site at www.artacanada.ca/join. | 
