ACTA issued a statement 11JAN saying it had received "overwhelming" feedback from its members affected by Sunwing's sudden cancellation of all service in Saskatchewan in the wake of holiday travel chaos that saw the operator scrambling to repatriate Canadian travellers in destination and stabilize its operations.
The organization is highlighting the role of travel agents in helping affected customers, both during the holiday travel mess, and following the sweeping cancellations of service for at least the first month of this year. And it's calling for that work to be recognized - and fairly compensated.
Here's ACTA's statement in full:
On December 29, 2022, Sunwing issued a mass cancellation notice to travel agencies and independent travel agents, advising of the immediate suspension of all Saskatchewan flights until February 3, 2023. Since then, additional cancellations in other regions have occurred.
This came at the height of catastrophic winter delays, with many customers already in-destination then in need of repatriation. Travel agents are incurring significant customer service obligations, and we are concerned that despite the tremendous amount of work completed by travel agents, commission might not be protected.
ACTA has received overwhelming feedback from travel agencies and independent travel agents across Canada who have been impacted by Sunwing’s cancellations. It is ACTA’s firm position that when a decision to cancel a travel program is made, travel agent commission should be part of the decision-making process, and commission must be protected.
We are in continuous contact with Sunwing’s leadership team, and ACTA will continue steadfast advocacy with all stakeholders to ensure fairness for travel agencies and independent travel agents.
