BRITISH BUSINESS FACES BILL FOR AMERICA'S SECURITY

British business travellers could find themselves footing the bill for new American anti-terrorism measures.

The influential Guild of Business Travel Agents (GBTA), whose 35 member companies handle more than 80 per cent of all international business trips from the UK, warns that the cost of a new US government security clampdown may have to be borne by airline passengers.

From September 25, US authorities are introducing a new Advance Passenger Information System (APIS).  The system means comprehensive details about travellers have to be transmitted to the US before a plane leaves for the States, including contact telephone number, dietary choices, date of birth, home address, and where passengers will be staying in the US.

And while the GBTA stresses it is happy to comply, it is concerned that many questions – primarily, “Who pays?” – remain unanswered.

“There is a cost attached to fulfilling the US requirements and, although the burden of duty clearly falls on the airlines, how long before that cost is passed on?” asks GBTA chief executive Philip Carlisle.

In the 2002/03 financial year, more than 20 million transatlantic travellers passed through UK airports.  Even if the cost of processing APIS data is kept to a bare minimum, cash-strapped airlines will be reluctant to absorb the charges.

The Guild is also worried about data security.  APIS details will be available to a string of other US agencies, including the FBI.

“When every cop and court in the land is privy to such personal data, the scope for misuse – even out-and-out abuse – is enormous,” says Carlisle.

Much of the required information is already held on the machine-readable magnetic strip built into British passports, and details of a traveller's journey already form part of what is known as a PNR – passenger name record – collated by the airlines at the time of booking.

The Americans, however, want extra information,  and they want it before travellers set off across the Atlantic.

“The Guild fully appreciates and endorses the US authorities' aim of enhancing traveller security,” Carlisle insists.  “What we want now is an early review of the practicalities of the new anti-terror measure.”

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For further information: Vanessa Aves/Steve Dunne, Brighter PR, tel: 020 7603 2168

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