The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), together with leading travel industry partners, has issued a joint industry statement applauding Norwegian Cruise Line’s decision to permanently eliminate non-commissionable fares (NCFs) and calling on the broader travel industry to examine their own fare structures to maximize fairness and transparency.
The statement represents a rare and significant show of alignment across the travel advisor community, consortia, networks and agency leadership, underscoring a shared commitment to transparency, fairness and sustainable advisor compensation. For decades, NCFs have eroded effective commission rates and obscured true earnings for travel advisors, creating frustration and confusion across the marketplace.
ASTA played a central role in convening the signatories behind the statement, an effort that highlights the organization’s ongoing work to advocate for travel advisors and elevate issues that directly impact advisor livelihoods. The elimination of NCFs by Norwegian Cruise Line places it alongside a small group of cruise lines that have adopted fully commissionable fare structures.
“This joint statement matters because it gives our members something they rarely see at this scale: unity,” Michael Schottey, vice president of membership, marketing and communications at ASTA, said in a statement. “When advisors, agencies and industry leaders speak together, it sends a clear message that fair compensation and transparency are not niche concerns; they are foundational to a healthy travel marketplace.”
As part of this ongoing dialogue, ASTA will host a live virtual industry town hall on Friday, January 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET, featuring John Chernesky, senior vice president, North American sales for Norwegian Cruise Line. Hosted by Schottey, the town hall will explore what the elimination of NCFs means for travel advisors, how the new fare structure will work and what advisors can expect moving forward. A live Q&A will give advisors the opportunity to ask questions directly.
Registration details are available here.
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