• What's elliott?
• About elliott
• Contact us

t o p i c s

• Business
• Commentary
• Destinations
• Help
• Leisure
• Technology
• Vault

s u b s c r i b e

• Elliott's E-Mail, a free weekly newsletter, is your insider resource for moneysaving ideas.




• Read back issues. Like what you see? Now you can become an underwriter.

a l s o

• Referring sites
• Public relations
• Visit Tripso
• Home


s e a r c h

• Find a story.



Copyright Elliott Publishing. All rights reserved. For more information, call (305) 453-4781 or send e-mail to us.

Screen Your Travel Company
Opinion · March 21, 2004

Is your travel company on the up-and-up? If it's a member of one of these associations, it might be.*

Your Airline. Legacy carriers are represented by the Air Transport Association which promotes the air transport industry and the "safety, cost effectiveness, and technological advancement of its operations." Low-cost airlines have the Air Carrier Association of America, a trade group.

Your Car Rental Company. The Association of Car and Truck Rental Independents and Franchisees is the closest thing the car rental industry has to an industry association. It is primarily dedicated to professional development and lobbying, but it does have an informal code of conduct for its members.

Your Cruise Line. The Cruise Lines International Association is mostly a marketing organization designed to promote the industry. The International Council of Cruise Lines participate in the regulatory and policy development process and promote all measures that foster a safe, secure and healthy cruise ship environment.

Your Hotel. The American Hotel & Lodging Association assists members in operations, education, and communications, and lobbies on Capitol Hill to provide a business climate in which the industry can continue to prosper. Individual state associations offer representation at the state level.

Your Travel Agent. The American Society of Travel Agents is the world's largest association of travel professionals. Its members include travel agents and the companies whose products they sell such as tours, cruises, hotels, and car rental agencies. The Travel Institute is a nonprofit organization that educates and certifies travel counselors. Look for its first-level Certified Travel Associate (CTA) and more advanced Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) designation from an experienced travel professional.

Your Tour Operator. The United States Tour Operators Association is a professional association representing the tour operator industry. It is composed of companies whose tours and packages encompass the entire globe and who conduct business in the United States.

* Pssst! Here's the fine print. These industry organizations are there for their members, not travelers. If push comes to shove, who do you think they'll side with? Exactly. So it goes without saying that membership in these organizations can't guarantee you'll have a positive travel experience - only that the travel supplier has agreed to uphold certain standards. Need more information? Check out Triprights.com for troubleshooting tips and real-world examples of how travelers fixed their trips.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.

Get a look behind the scenes at The Travel Troubleshooter. Check out Elliott's Travel Notes blog.