Comments on: Introducing the Consumer Travel Alliance: your voice in Washington http://www.elliott.org/blog/introducing-the-consumer-travel-alliance-your-voice-in-washington/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Travel-Writers-Exchange.com http://www.elliott.org/blog/introducing-the-consumer-travel-alliance-your-voice-in-washington/comment-page-1/#comment-20339 Travel-Writers-Exchange.com Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:54:20 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6826#comment-20339 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! 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!

]]> By: Justin http://www.elliott.org/blog/introducing-the-consumer-travel-alliance-your-voice-in-washington/comment-page-1/#comment-20323 Justin Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:59:04 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6826#comment-20323 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 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

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