Statement on Improper Airline Reservations and Prohibitive Ticketing Practices
Blue Ribbon Business Travel International, Inc., a Direct Travel company is an agent for all major airlines and therefore must adhere to airline ticketing regulations and restrictions as outlined in the airline’s Contract of Carriage. Airlines have introduced advanced tracking measures to detect violations. To provide your company and its traveler’s maximum savings and security, Blue Ribbon Business Travel International, Inc. will not knowingly engage in improper reservation and ticketing practices nor can we allow our customers to engage while using our online booking systems or agent assisted process. You or your company will be billed for any airline charge-backs we receive resulting from any such activity.
Improper Reservation and Prohibitive Ticketing Practices include, but are not limited to the following:
- Reservations made without having been requested by or on behalf of the named passenger
- Reservations made to hold or block seats for the purpose of obtaining lower fares, award inventory, or upgrades that may not otherwise be available
- Reservations made to circumvent any of the airline fare rules, policies or provisions
- Reservations made for the same passenger on flights traveling on or about the same date between one or more of the same or nearby origin or destination cities
- Reservations with connections that depart before the arrival on the inbound flight
- Fares apply for travel only between the points for which they are published. Tickets may not be purchased and used at fare(s) from an initial departure point on the Ticket which is before the Passenger’s actual point of origin of travel, or to a more distant point(s) than the Passenger’s actual destination being traveled even when the purchase and use of such Tickets would produce a lower fare. This practice is known as “Hidden Cities Ticketing” or “Point Beyond Ticketing” and is prohibited.
- The purchase and use of round-trip Tickets for the purpose of one-way travel only, known as “Throwaway Ticketing” is prohibited.
- The use of Flight Coupons from two or more different Tickets issued at round trip fares for the purpose of circumventing applicable tariff rules (such as advance purchase/minimum stay requirements) commonly referred to as “Back-to-Back Ticketing” is prohibited.
- The failure to comply with applicable stayover requirements, the failure to meet the purpose or status requirement associated with the Ticket’s fare category, and the purchase or use of a Ticket that the airline determines circumvents the applicable fare rules.
When a ticket is purchased and used in violation of the law, the airline’s Contract of Carriage or any fare rule (including Hidden Cities Ticketing, Point Beyond Ticketing, Throwaway Ticketing, or Back-to-Back Ticketing), the airline, without notice to the passenger, has the right in its sole discretion to take all actions permitted by law, including but not limited to, the following:
- Invalidate the ticket(s)
- Cancel any remaining portion of the passenger’s itinerary
- Confiscate any unused flight coupons
- Refuse to board the Passenger and to carry the passenger’s baggage, unless the difference between the fare paid and the fare for transportation used is collected prior to boarding
- Assess the Passenger for the actual value of the ticket which shall be the difference between the lowest fare applicable to the passenger’s actual itinerary and the fare actually paid
- Delete miles in the passenger’s frequent flyer account, revoke the passenger’s elite status (if any), and/or suspend the company’s airline business incentive program
- Take legal action with respect to the passenger
- If applicable, fine the travel agency or online fulfillment agency responsible for processing the ticket(s)
For more information on Improper Reservation and Prohibitive Ticketing Practices, please refer to the individual airline’s Contract of Carriage or contact Blue Ribbon Travel via email at [email protected].