Join Us
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 has changes, but we need your help and money to keep working for you. So far, the efforts have been funded out of pocket because we feel this is important work that needs to be done to protect you from unseen problems while traveling.
This work is not always glamorous. The issues are not always dramatic. But the matters that come into focus for the Consumer Travel Alliance affect every traveler, business or leisure, whenever they face TSA inspections, withdraw money from a foreign cash machine or use their credit card overseas, buy an airline ticket through a travel agent (online or traditional) or face ever-escalating fees for everything from flights to rental cars.
The Consumer Travel Alliance has been working quietly trying to tilt the balance in favor of you. We’ve been in Washington, D.C., for about a little more than a year working to learn the system, meet Senators and Representatives, interview regulators and officials at federal agencies, and meet other associations representing travel agents, online travel agents, business travelers and airline passenger rights advocates.
We have already had an impact on legislation and have testified before Congress regarding the pending merger of Continental and United Airlines.
We have taken positions, attended hearings and written letters and articles supporting pro-consumer travel issues in our Nation’s Capital.
• Tarmac Delay legislation — we have worked to support the efforts to set time limits on how long passengers can be held on board aircraft while waiting to take off. And continue with a strong effort to rally consumer support for an expansion of these rules.
• Passenger privacy rights — we led a phone and email campaign to support House of Representative efforts to keep full-body scanning machines, that can see right through your clothes, from being uses as the primary screening method at airports. We have been included in the privacy discussions of Homeland Security and are keeping consumer issues in their face.
• Identity protection — we are the only travel oriented group who has alerted the travel industry about the dangers of having the newly required TSA information being used for the Secure Traveler program stored in unsecured computers. This is a recipe for identity theft since the date of birth, now required information, is one of the most important pieces for anyone trying to steal identity or crack into secure banking information. Our actions have resulted in never-before-seen FTC actions.
• Foreign transaction fees — Consumer Travel Alliance wrote strong letters to Rep. Barney Frank and called the responsible Senate committee to alert them to the fact that while foreign currency exchange fees were covered in the recently-passed credit card bill, foreign transaction fees were not. Since that time, foreign transaction fees have been expanded and increased by almost every credit card issuer.
• Airline alliances and antitrust immunity — Consumer Travel Alliance has been the sole consumer organization that has repeatedly warned about the anticompetitive nature of today’s international alliances. Today with both the SkyTeam (anchored by Air France/KLM and Delta) and Star Alliance (headed by Lufthansa, United and soon Continental) operating like a single unified airline for international flights, competition has been reduced dramatically. Our efforts to include consumer protections that cover all members of airline alliances are ongoing.
• Consumer protections — we have been intimately involved in fighting efforts by United Airlines to change the relationship with passengers through a shift on processing of credit card payments. United’s proposed changes mean passengers will lose protections afforded those who purchase airline tickets using credit cards. These new proposals also strike at the heart of the Contract of Carriage and they will make travel far more of a hassle should anyone subjected to United Airlines’ new rules need to change routing or ticketing during their travels.
We need your money and your support to push a consumer-friendly travel agenda in Washington. Please donate right now.
A charter membership of $25 will allow us to keep fighting for you in Washington. If you can give more, please contact me directly at leocha@consumertravelalliance.org. We are also working to develop alliance benefits that will help out with any future travel. As they come on line, all members will immediately benefit.
We will 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.
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.
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| Join the Consumer Travel Alliance Charter Focus Group |
| Visit this group |
Christine Kaun
June 24, 2009
It’s about time that consumers had a voice in Washington. Air travel has become something to dread on vacation, from long lines to check in, security, and then the surly flight attendants. I am not sure that the planes are maintained as they should be. Please help! I remember a time when flying was fun.
Peter Ramsay
June 24, 2009
As a ten year on-air travel expert and a thirty year travel professional, I applaud your efforts. The CTA is akin to the Civil Aeronautics Board’s consumer affairs division – the only part of the government that truly worked for the consumer.
I believe you should have a representative from every state on a national advisory board. I would gladly volunteer to help the cause.
Travel and tourism is the largest employer in the world only because consumers continue to spend the money. It is about time we are heard from.
Sylvain
August 24, 2009
The more regulation, the more hurddles to flying and travel! This is a good principle to defend passenger rights, but you should also understand that the bad experiences from waiting at the long airport queues and flight delays or anti-competition come from too much implication of EU Commissioners and US Congress into the Air Transport System.
Please be as independant and non-partizan organization you pretend to be and hear from the industry’s actors and organization to get a more balanced and neutral view than just listening to regulators.
MCGJr.
September 3, 2009
The vague comments about the proposals from United are worthless without SPECIFIC DETAILS about what is being proposed. If it has been explained elsewhere, at a minimum, provide a link to the details.
Dawn
October 7, 2009
The “favourite” airline survey assumes that there is a favourite one to “like”. Being the best of an all-bad industry is nothing to crow about or reward with a slanted survey. I fly United not because it is my favourite, but because my company used them the most and that’s the airline most of my FF miles are on. Am I happy with their service? No! But they are the least bad of the airlines. I can’t think of one US airline that I would call good.
Diane
October 11, 2009
Gee, Dawn, you must never have flown
Jet Blue. In my opinion, they’re the best, but be sure to pack a snack. The 1st time
I flew w/them, when a stewardess came by w/a large basket of candy, etc., I asked what was on the menu, and she enlighten-ed me to the fact, that the line does not serve meals.
Lee
October 12, 2009
I agree, there do not seem to be any great airlines outthere. I do fly United because they have been the only airline that seems to get me there the most direct route, usually the least amount of travel time. They serve food and as much snacks as you want. I have not had as good an experience with some of the others. I always shop for flights.
Katy
November 6, 2009
Sadly, air travel is unlikely to ever return to the standards we once enjoyed. It’s mass transportation not a luxury any more. I am also worried that safety could be the next area of cost-cutting. It’s almost unbelievable but as the public wants cheaper fares the airlines will try and find ways to give them.
john
July 13, 2010
Southwest is the best …. last week I left my ipod in the waiting area and discoverd it was missing after I got on the plane.
Amazing … they let me off to look for it, preserved the exit row aisle seat I had picked, discoverd that it had been turned into lost and found and the brought it to me via the cockpit window as the door had been shut. Unbelieveable!
Wow, that is truly outstanding service. How can one airline be so different from the rest? It almost seems United, and others train their people to be rude and inconsiderate.
The truth in advertising fares is another huge issue … the complete and full prices with taxes and fees should be the advertised price.
The same thing goes for rental cars at airports … local agencies tack on huge fees becuase travelers are not local constituents This is really an opportunity to take advantage of the traveler.
LeAnn Thomas
July 20, 2010
The most restrictive rule on most airline tickets is a total rip off. It makes refundable fares when combined on the same itinerary as some non-refundable segments makes the entire itinerary non-refundable. That is not consumer friendly because refundable fares cost more. If you pay for a refundable segment it should continue to be refundable even when combined with non-refundable segments on another or on the same airline. I have seen itineraries where 90% of the ticket was refunable but because of one segment costing under $100 the whole ticket became non-refundable. Changing this could save consumers a lot of money!
tours n travels
July 26, 2010
The CTA is akin to the Civil Aeronautics Board’s consumer affairs division .We should have a representative from every state on a national advisory board.
Not a Frequent Traveler
August 13, 2010
I must I am not a frequent flyer but I do feel that the airlines are going too far with these crazy fees. This is not fair to the consumer to have to pay for everything (Baggage, food, drinks, pillows, etc). All this is UNFAIR! The Middle-Class is paying for everything and the rich are reaping the profits just because not because its necessary.
It is time that the airlines give back; reduce their ticket prices and include everything that goes with flying (baggage, snacks/food, drinks, pillows, blankets, etc.) or don’t fly with them and send them out of business with their determined selfishness. The power of all the citizens against some few CEO’s should be able to make changes. If the airline costs too much go somewhere else or find another way. It is time for us as a people to let these companies know they need us more than we need them. We cannot tollerate being taken for unnecessary fees that we should get automatically because we paid for the high ticket price. And lastly I think that the airline should allow everyone about 2-3 bads per person and anything after that the airlines can charge ($5/$10). I shouldn’t have to worry about traveling for 5 days and only being able to afford to bring 2/3 days worth of clothes!