Airlines Stop Selling Tickets Temporarily Via Greek Travel Agents

Update (July 9): Qatar Airways announced that it has gradually started to reinstate the BSP ticketing authority for Greek travel agents.

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A number of international airlines have announced that they are temporarily withdrawing the BSP ticketing authority for all travel agents in Greece due to the political instability and financial situation in the country.

Until this moment, 37 airlines, including Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, Qatar, Copa Airlines and Cathay Pacific, are not allowing the sale of tickets through local travel agents for fear of the financial risk involved.

“Emirates confirms the decision to temporarily cease the sale of tickets through Greece-based travel agents and tour operators. However, the company retains its existing booking and ticketing options through its Athens office, via its customer service hotline and online through its website. We apologize to our passengers and partners for the inconvenience and we are committed to revisit this decision in due course,” the company said in a statement to Greek daily To Vima.

In the meantime, in a similar statement to travel agents, Turkish Airlines said that “due to the adverse and the unpredictable economic situation in Greece, we are forced to remove ticketing rights from all agents in Greece”.

However, the airlines say that their move is temporary.

“We expect to re-open this sales channel, as soon the Greece situation will be clearer”, CopaAirlines said in a statement to travel agents.

Sector authorities view the latest development as a lack of trust in the Greek market, which they claim is a direct result of Sunday’s referendum result.

In the meantime, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) informed Greek travel agencies last week that they will have to settle payments weekly (instead of fortnightly) with immediate effect for all IATA accredited agents in the country as of July 16 and through to September, with a final clearance set for October 7.

The list of airlines that are temporarily withdrawing BSP ticketing authority for Greek travel agents is the following:

ZI   AIGLE AZUR AIRLINES
KC   AIR ASTANA
BT   AIR BALTIC
SB   AIR CALEDONIE
TX   AIR CARAIBES
SW   AIR NAMIBIA
NZ   AIR NEW ZEALAND
TS   AIR TRANSAT
SZ   AIRCOMPANY
DT   TAAG-ANGOLA AIRLINES
KK   ATLASJET
AV   AVIANCA
OB   BOLIVIANA DE AVIACION
BD   BRITISH MIDLAND (BMI)
CX   CATHAY PACIFIC
CI   CHINA AIRWAYS
CZ   CHINA SOUTHERN
CM   COPA AIRLINES
EK   EMIRATES
GA   GARUDA INDONESIA
HR   HANN AIR
8M   MYANMAR
8Q   ONUR AIR
PC   PEGASUS AIRLINES
PR   PHILIPPINE AIRLINES
QF   QANTAS
QR   QATAR
AT   ROYAL AIR MAROC
S7   SIBERIA AIRLINES
UL   SRILANKAN AIRLINES
UN   TRANSAERO ARLINES
TK   TURKISH AIRLINES
U6   URAL AIRLINES
UT   UTAIR AVIATION
HY   UZBEKISTAN AIRWAY
VN   VIETNAM AIRLINES
VS   VIRGIN ATLANTIC