FAITH, TAFI, TAAI discuss agent woes with MoCA on joint call

Three big trade bodies got on a joint call recently with MoCA along with five Indian and international airlines to discuss travel agent woes and underline urgent issues specially the deposits put in by agents into the low-cost airlines, which effectively is the agent’s advance. On call were representatives of Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Travel Agents Association Of India (TAAI) speaking with Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary of Aviation, MoCA. The airlines that were part of the call included representatives of Indigo, SpiceJet, Vistara, GoAir, AirAsia. Kharola gave both parties a platform to present their urgent issues. Consequent to the discussion, he strongly requested the airlines to look into the issues presented by the agents, and to revert within a short span of time with a solution. MoCA has also requested the airlines to come back within in 24 hours on the agent money in Float accounts as advance to be refunded in cash of group deposits and cancellations. MoCA also requested the airlines to co-operate. Rajat Bagaria, Joint Secretary, TAFI National, who was part of the call says, “We had already started booking seats from April 15 onwards as they were very urgent cases like people wanting to return home. One client’s father had passed away in Kolkata so he had to take the first flight out even though he could not attend the funeral. There are so many reasons why people have to go back including maternity issues.”