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Kevin Mitchell Chairman Business Travel Coalition http://BusinessTravelCoalition.com

Mitchell is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations. Mitchell worked for CIGNA Corporation for 12 years where he was Vice President, Human Resources and Services. With support from CIGNA and 16 other major corporations Mitchell founded the Business Travel Contractors Corporation (BTCC) in 1994 as a corporate buying group to advance fundamental reforms to the airline industry distribution system. In 1996, the Business Travel Coalition (BTC) was formed as an advocacy organization to represent the interests of corporate buyers of business travel services.

This month, we award the last Self Tending Mushroom Award, or STeMie of the year to the Air Transport Association (ATA) and their members in the category of Travel Trends. The ATA is, “the premier trade group of the principal U.S. airlines” whose members account for 90% of all commercial passenger and cargo air transport in the United States. ATA and its members earn the STeMie for an unwillingness to recognize growing consumer animosity over passenger treatment and failing to lead their industry toward a market solution.  The issue was sparked ten years ago during the infamous snow storm of 1999 when Northwest Airlines left thousands stranded in aircraft on tarmacs in Detroit. Those same passengers became the force behind passenger rights legislation.

Over the past decade, the Airline Employees Whistleblowers Association, and the Coalition for an Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights (a.k.a FlyersRights.com) have developed in support of a passenger bill of rights. Recently, the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the Business Travel Coalition (BTC) and the International Association For Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM) joined the cause. The BTC testified four times in front of congress in opposition to federal passenger rights legislation and in favor of the market forces approach. Now even they have turned.

A major meeting of stakeholders including senators, congressmen, industry representatives, everyday passengers, and more took place on September 22nd in Washington, D.C. at the Hart Senate Office Building. This was an open registration meeting that anyone could attend...anyone at all...but the attendee list did not contain a single current airline executive or ATA representative. They have been hiding under their desks for ten years. No press releases, no statements, no speeches ... and no action to correct the problem that clearly has their customers up in arms. We asked the ATA if they had a position. The ATA representative stated that, “...we continue to believe that a hard-and-fast rule requiring mandatory deplaning of passengers after three hours will have substantial, unintended consequences, leading to even more inconvenience for passengers and ultimately more flight cancellations."

Passenger rights clauses have now been written into the current FAA reauthorization legislation which means, by New Year’s Day, we could have real laws in place for passenger rights as part of the FAA mandate. Meanwhile, ATA and their member airlines hide in silence telling themselves that it will all be OK in the end. 

First, price is important but service is what distinguishes you from your competition. Set your own high standard of service and stick to it. Listen to your customers. Don’t be afraid to hear the bad news along with good ideas. Lastly, when industry leadership fails to lead, don’t be shy to step up and take the role.