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Introducing the Consumer Travel Alliance: your voice in Washington

June 24, 2009

The airlines industry spent $31 million lobbying Congress last year. The hotel industry plunked down $8 million and the cruise industry dropped more than $6 million on lobbying. How much did travelers spend to get their voices heard in Washington? Nothing.

That’s about to change.

A new tax-exempt organization called the Consumer Travel Alliance promises to tilt the balance in your favor. (I’ve been invited to join the group as a board member and ombudsman.)

But we need your help.

Please tell us which travel issues should be urgently addressed.

Click here to complete a brief travel survey.

We’ll be asking your for input on how we can best launch our membership drive and what kinds of cutting-edge products you feel would most useful, that can be added to our membership package.

Click here to complete the survey.

And we’re looking for a group of charter members willing to join now to help our start-up efforts in Washington. Please join our exclusive focus group, where we can swap ideas for how to make the travel industry a better place.

Join the Consumer Travel Alliance Charter Focus Group
Email:
Visit this group

Click here to visit ConsumerTravelAlliance.org.

Got question about the CTA? Send us an email.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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2 comments

  • Justin

    Some issues:

    1) Who is with me on the fact that they hate the hours of waiting it takes to get into an airport these days? I can’t name any other form of transportation that it takes JUST AS LONG to get onto as it does to arrive at your destination.

    2) Who thinks that Airlines need to be upfront about problems. Last February, I was on a flight from Airtran that got “Delayed”, sold off our connecting flight tickets, then stranded us for 6 hours. Not only were we only going to be in our destination for a weekend (Which we lost 1/4th of a day at!!), we got the run around. First off, they said the plane had left when we arrived. Hell? We arrived with around 15 minutes to spare (Though it was impossible to make it to the gate within 5 minutes). They WOULD NOT hold the plane. Mysteriously, the plane had ALREADY left when we did get up there. A nice and cool 10 minutes early with our seats and those on our plane being sold off. Sounds like they overbooked to me. The nightmare continued as they said they couldn’t find replacement pilots to take the connecting flight to our next stop. Who knows. All I can say? Airlines need to be held accountable, made to be upfront, and compensate passengers when blame squarely lies with them.

    3) Fees. To me, I’d rather they raise their fairs in an upfront manner than nickel and dime customers with made up fees. Sure, it looks good to sell a flight for X amount, then take on like 30 percent in fees. They can claim it’s all part of doing business. 9/11 fee. and the whole lot. Yet, if you need more revenue, don’t play the customer as stupid. We know what you are doing. We are less likely to appreciate the hitting us on EVERYTHING WE DO TAX, instead of simply adjusting your fairs accordingly to make a profit.

    My “3″ cents.

    Justin

  • http://Travel-Writers-Exchange.com Travel-Writers-Exchange.com

    Very interesting. Travelers must speak up if they want change to come to the travel industry. Many travelers have been complaining about additional fees for bags, pillows, blankets, etc…But, they don’t speak up about it. In order for change to happen, you must make YOUR voice be heard.

    Also, airlines must remember that without consumers, they don’t exist. That’s the way business works. I wonder what would happen if travelers all over the world decided NOT to travel for ONE day. It would be an interesting experiment!

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