Travel Agent Groups Fire Back at Woman?s Day for ?Misleading? Article Jul 16th 2013, 19:33
Several travel agent organizations have responded to the online Woman’s Day article (which has changed from “10 Things Travel Agents Won’t Tell You” to “9 Things …”) with letters to the editor expressing dismay and disappointment. ASTA responded with its own article, “8 Reasons Why Booking with a Travel Professional Creates Value, Plus 5 Tips for Finding a Professional to ‘Help You Travel Smarter.’”
“We noticed that Woman’s Day seems to have a lot of these articles — 10 tips for this, eight tips for that — so we thought we would write one for them,” John Pittman, ASTA’s vice president, industry and consumer affairs, research, told TravelPulse. “Part of what ASTA does to help make consumers aware of the value of using a travel professional.”
In the letter, Pittman said that, “while the article starts out right, as we certainly agree that ‘a travel agent can be a great resource,’ that’s where it ended.” He went on to present some facts about travel agents, 67 percent of who are women, many of whom read Woman’s Day.
Among them: He acknowledged that some agents charge fees for certain services, “yet those that do use a transparent, straightforward fee structure.” In addition, while the Woman’s Day article says agents exhibit bias toward travel products that pay them commission, “no agent in his right mind would risk the loss of a client by an unjustified slanting of advice or booking for a few dollars.”
He added that clients usually do their own Internet research for their trip before contacting a travel agent. “These highly informed consumers are not going to be fooled by any agent slanting advice or making preferential bookings when there are other services that the consumer knows are available to meet her needs,” he wrote.
He also defended the fact that agents inform their clients about travel insurance, disputing the Woman’s Day article. “Point five of this article implies that travel professional ‘push’ insurance on those that don’t need,” he wrote. “Let’s be clear, it is in consumers’ best interest to be made aware of travel insurance and the value it may provide.”
He included ASTA’s article on the value of booking with a travel professional, saying, “Below you will find the article that we feel would have better served your readership.” In short, the eight reasons are: customer advocacy, expert guidance, personalized service, professional advice, saving time, unbiased information, value, and first-hand experience.
ASTA’s five tips for choosing an agent are: go with the pros, ask around (for referrals), ask about fees, check credentials and research the agency’s track record.
In addition to sending the letter to Woman’s Day, Pittman said ASTA will post it on its Facebook page and on Dateline ASTA Weekly, its online newsletter for members.
In addition, the top executives at Travel Leaders Group and some of its divisions, Travel Leaders Leisure Group, Vacation.com and Nexion, have sent letters to Woman’s Day, expressing dismay and disappointment over the article and offering their input for future travel agent articles in the magazine and its website.
Barry Liben, CEO of Travel Leaders Group, said the article contained “major errors” and noted that “travel agencies are founded on repeat business and are built on serving the needs of the customer. Agents also help their clients when unexpected problems, like cancelled flights occur, unlike online travel companies. And travel insurance often covers medical care and evacuation for policy holders while they travel, which isn’t covered by most health insurance policies.
Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion, wrote that she is “absolutely horrified that a publication with such a proud tradition of supporting women would actively malign an industry notable for being led by female entrepreneurs. Even more perplexing is that it is shilling for the most faceless, impersonal way of booking travel via online travel agencies that contribute nothing to local communities across the country in the way travel agents do.”
She also disputed the Woman’s Day article’s assertion that travel agents cannot book all airlines without booking a package. “That is simply untrue,” she wrote. “In fact, our agents can and do have access to invaluable, proprietary tools that enable them to book all airline carriers regardless of packages.”
The Woman’s Day article “has created a considerable uproar, not only among the countless women (and men) whose top priority is to provide travelers with the utmost care, but especially among their valued clients whose intelligence is being questioned in such an offensive and misleading manner,” wrote John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Leisure Group and Vacation.com, in his letter to the editor.
He added that agents are advocates for their clients and provide peace of mind throughout the trip, save them time and money by protecting clients’ investments, and provide expertise and a human touch. He took issue at the article’s misrepresentation of the way travel agents do business and the fact that it “takes online agencies off the hook for their spotty customer care.”
“With a little bit of research, it would be quite clear that the days of travel agents making significant commissions on travel bookings are long in the rear view mirror,” he said, noting that agents put clients’ needs first and build relationships and trust with them. They charge professional fees, just as plumbers, lawyers and doctors do.
Meanwhile, Woman’s Day posted a note below the online article, thanking the “hard-working travel agents who provided feedback on this story. The goal of this article was to inform consumers on how they can get the best prices on travel.” The note apologized if the publication’s goal of helping readers to find value didn’t come through in the article and said that Woman’s Day will highlight travel agent services in its October issue and in a story in December on WomansDay.com. “We’ve thoroughly reviewed this article and have removed point 9 (about airline commission) based on information you provided. We thank you again for sharing your expertise and doing the great work that you do. We’re looking forward to working with some of you closely on our December online feature story.”
Scott Foresman Science
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