TWO travel industry stalwarts are among those appointed to the Australian Federation of Travel Agents’ (AFTA) ATAS Appeals Complaint Committee (ACAC).
Travel loyalists David Padman and Melvyn Almeida (pictured above) join consumer representatives Philip Field and Jillian Brewer as members of the critically important Committee.
Padman and Almeida bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to ACAC, with their deep understanding of the intricacies of the travel sector to be invaluable in reviewing and resolving complaints.
Meanwhile, Field and Brewer will bring a consumer-focused perspective and extensive experience to further add to ACAC’s focus on balanced and fair decision-making to benefit both participating travel businesses and consumers.
“We are thrilled to welcome these highly respected individuals to the ATAS Appeals Complaint Committee and thank them in advance for their time and contribution,” AFTA Chief Executive Officer Dean Long said.
“The ACAC’s formation is an essential step in upholding the integrity of the ATAS accreditation scheme and further enhancing industry standards.
“Their appointments reinforce our commitment to transparency and excellence in the travel industry.”
Led by Chair Hank Speir, former Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Chief Executive Officer, ACAC is now back up and running at full capacity after a COVID-enforced pause, and last year’s independent review of ATAS.
ACAC is a partnership with the Consumer Federation Australia, with the two jointly selecting the Committee’s Chair and appointing the consumer representatives.
All ATAS members benefit from access to complaint resolution support, and are all benchmarked against strict criteria, as part of a rigorous application process covering everything including an audit of submitted financial documentation through to monitoring of consumer complaints and the dispute resolution process.
