Who does the Air Travelers Association really represent?

Do air travelers want a Bill of Rights? Apparently they don’t — or at least they shouldn’t — according to the Air Travelers Association, which this morning issued a press release saying that the proposed legislation is “feel good, but ironically will not do good for passengers.” The statement is impeccably timed. Later this week, key players in the bill battle will testify on Capitol Hill.

I probably would have shrugged the statement off as just another effort by the airline lobby to stop the legislation. Indeed, many of the points that the Air Travelers Association makes in its press release are identical to those made by the airline industry. The proposed bill, ATA argues, would increase cancellations, reduce safety and raise air fares.

Except that the ATA purports to represent air travelers. That’s right, it’s supposed to have our best interests in mind.

Which is a little odd, since a vast majority of air travelers I speak with say they want a bill.

All of this raises questions about who the ATA actually represents. I should say I’m not the first to wonder about this. Just a week ago, Conde Nast Portfolio’s new business travel columnist, Joe Brancatelli, observed on his site that ATA’s president had sent out a press release claiming that he was riding the Airbus A380 to “represent airline passengers.”

“Did I miss the election that chose him as our representative?” he wondered.

I note, as did Brancatelli, that ATA currently isn’t offering new memberships. Yet its Web site claims that it is member-supported.

What organization turns away new members — particularly when it relies on members for support?

In recent interviews, ATA has declined to talk about who actually pays the bills.

That’s a shame, because ATA could easily dispel some of its harshest criticism on the Web with a little more openness.

But a closer look at the Air Travelers Association Web site raises even more questions. It notes that its president, David Stempler, was previously the president of two regional airlines and a senior vice president of a jet charter company.

Does that sound like someone who would be sympathetic to the cause of air travelers — or of airlines?

If the Air Travelers Association claims to represent us, then I think it should be willing to answer a few simple questions.

Who are ATA’s current members? How is the organization funded? And when it takes a position such as the one it has on the Passengers Bill of Rights, who did it consult with before reaching that conclusion?

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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