Charterers Face Crackdown Here

Harvard has decided to crack down in September on several charter flight organizations which are chartering for Harvard students without the written consent of the University.

The action will coincide with stricter enforcement by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) of a clause it has tended to ignore. CAB Investigator Edward E. Thomas said yesterday that a regulation requiring that a university officer sign a charterer's statement of supporting information would be enforced "more and more."

Thomas also said that this decision was an "indirect" result of a recent letter to the CAB from Michael L. Ryan '72. Ryan is the new President of Harvard Student Agencies (HSA).

In fact, HSA has encouraged much of the University's response. Ryan yesterday denied, however, that its complaints were generated mainly by a profit motive. "We're being hurt somewhat by them, but it's not crucial," he said. HSA began charter operations 13 years ago at Harvard's request, and has been the sole authorized charterer since.

Daniel Steiner '54, General Counsel to the University, said that the crackdown is an effort to protect students from unreliable, fly-by-night charterers, who sometimes use little-known airlines or cancel flights at the last moment.

One unauthorized organization is Student Flights, an affiliate of Unitravel Corporation in Lynn, a first-yearoperation. Unitravel vice-president Ronald Terrazas said yesterday that his business is an agent between the airlines and the charterers and that Steven M. Schneider, a third-year Law student, is the "Harvard administrator" for Student Flights.

Schneider places ads in the CRIMSON, listing Unitravel's phone number for daytime business and his Holmes Hall number for evening calls. "I was surprised Harvard let him operate," said Jeffrey A. Bowden, a first-year Business student. He is an employee of American Student Travel Association Ltd., which also offers Harvard charters. "He operates out of his room. That's blatantly against the rules." Schneider could not be reached for comment.

A third charterer is Travel International Incorporated (TII), which opened in February. A TII spokesman declined to discuss the present situation, saying that the big issue now is how charterers will react to Pan American's plans to reduce student fares to $220, announced Monday.