HONOLULU -- ASTA president Richard Copland said he "makes no
apologies" and neither should other agents when they narrow their
lists of suppliers to a preferred few and earn extra commissions in
the bargain.
In an address to delegates at the ASTA World Travel Congress
here, he said agents have become better businesspeople since the
loss of most airline commissions; limiting the choice of suppliers
is one example of that.
The "flip side," Copland said, is that consumers then question
the trade's neutrality, "spurred on by the consumer media." This is
despite the fact that selective selling is standard in many
industries, he said, but when agents do it, it is called bias.
As for the airlines, Copland said, one of his greatest
frustrations these days is not about commissions; it is about the
government's "excessive concern for the operations of the largest
carriers."
He said Americans cannot afford to let "the fear of an airline
going out of business dictate national transportation policy.
"We've taken our share of hits, and so should [airlines]."
The ASTA president called for a "balanced consideration" by
Congress and the Transportation Department of issues affecting all
sectors of travel. The failure to take a balanced view, he said,
has made agents and consumers "virtual punching bags for a failing
airline industry."
Regardless of developments in that arena, however, he said, the
airlines won't knock agents out of the picture.
He said that as he moves into his second two-year term, the
Society's primary focus will be to build on the consumer awareness
campaign that was started during his first term.
Meanwhile, he said, agents should not spend a lot of time
worrying about the Web taking away business, but rather make the
Internet work for them.
"Technology is like a steamroller," Copland said. "If you're not
on the steamroller, then you're destined to be part of the
road."
In addition, he urged, one of the best arsenals an agency can
have in an era of uncertainty about the economy and world events is
a good customer database and the ability to use it well.
The smart agent, he said, spends money wisely and courts current
customers.
To this point, he said, agents have fought adversity with the
intelligence to change and adapt, "and I have complete faith travel
agents will continue on this course."