This is the first of a series of daily columns from the ASTA
World Travel Congress in Strasbourg.
Before the ASTA convention here in Strasbourg began its formal
proceedings, the Society's top elected officials started sending a
message that it would not be business as usual.
All but one member of the ASTA executive committee stayed away
from a breakfast co-sponsored by Marriott in protest of the hotel
company's recent decision to lower commissions for any agency that
doesn't sign up for its preferred-agent program.
ASTA's executive vice president Bill Maloney told Travel Weekly
that the Society opposes the idea that Marriott is requiring
agencies to have employes who pass the chain's educational program
in order to keep their commissions at ten percent. Any agency that
fails to have qualifying employes will have Marriott commissions
reduced to eight percent.
Maloney said that Marriott is setting a precedent that could
cause agencies to have to pass courses for a wide range of
suppliers in order to maintain current commission levels.
Marriott officials here expressed disappointment at the ASTA
officers' decision to stay away from their breakfast. Bruce Wolff,
heading the Marriott delegation in Strasbourg, said the company
would seek out ASTA officers in the hope of reaching an
understanding but he said the commission policy would stand.
A few ASTA officials did attend the breakfast including past
president Mike Spinelli who disagreed with the decision of the
other members of the executive committee .
Spinelli said it was inconsistent that the ASTA officers
rebuffed the Marriott invitation but planned to attend functions
sponsored by TWA and Continental, two of the airlines that recently
brought commissions down to five percent.
But Maloney said there was a difference between the actions of
"instigators" of commissions cuts such as United and Marriott and
"reluctant followers" such as TWA and Continental.
ASTA reccently expelled United from the Society in protest of
the carrier's decision to lower commissions to five percent, a move
that precipitated similar actions by most U.S. airlines.
The decision by the ASTA officers to stay away from the Marriott
breakfast also affected Hertz, a co-sponsor of the event.
Maloney, who worked for Hertz for many years and had hosted the
same breakfast several times during his tenure, said he regretted
that the officers' rebuff of Marriott caused them to stay away from
an event co-sponsored by the car rental company.
The incident appeared to be a signal that ASTA was in a defiant
mood at this convention. A town meeting to consider other measures
to "fight back" against commission-cutting suppliers is scheduled
for the opening general session.