TRAVEL AGENTS OF AMERICA 

RESPONSE THUS FAR:

It's Tuesday, October 2nd, and it's absolutely unbelievable how many agents planning to attend the march on Washington have been successful in receiving appointments with either one, two or even up to all three of their elected representatives in Washington either on Thursday, October 4th or Friday morning, October 5th. If you are flying in on Friday morning, try to make at least one appointment before 11:00am Friday. While we will begin assembling at 10:00am, our organized activities will probably not begin until 11:00am. See section 'Plans for Friday, Oct 5th' for details. There are some very high profile members of both the House and the Senate that have agreed to meet with you, the Travel Agents of America. As I predicted at the very outset of all this, the climate has never been better to present our concerns to Senators and to Congressmen and Congresswomen who just voted to give $15 billion to the airlines about an airline industry out of control as it relates to the retail travel agent, and thus to the American consumer. For at least two days in Washington, D. C., travel agents will far outnumber airline CEO's, Airline Transport Association lobbyists, and I believe for perhaps the very first time in our industry's history, our message may just get through. In fact, when I called to make an appointment with one of my own Senators from Georgia, I was greeted with an immediate response of familiarity about the concerns in our industry, that a fellow travel agent from Macon, Georgia had just related to this particular Senator by phone in setting up his appointment. In terms of registrations, there has continued to be a steady stream of new agent registrations today Oct 2nd, most from the east coast due to the high cost of last minute fares with no advance purchase lead time. It's not too late to get on board. Even if someone just shows up on Friday morning, that's no problem. We have the largest area at the Capitol Building where permits are issued. If you are within driving distance of Washington, come on down. You will make a huge difference by your presence. Please refer to all the other sections on this website for detailed instructions about each day's activities.

The response to the travel agent march on Washington has been overwhelming. Thus far, agents from 30 different states have registered to attend, including many states from the west coast. All over America, travel agents are beginning to realize that it's time to call out the reserves, that the issues we face are too many and too great for a paid lobbyist or any third party to fight on our behalf without each travel agent's own direct involvement, in the form of their actual presence in Washington, meeting one-on-one with their own elected representatives, expressing themselves freely and without any filters in front of those in Washington who have the power to either secure our return to a fair and open marketplace or seal our fate for all time. States represented thus far include Alabama, Arkansas, California, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

IF YOU ARE UNDECIDED, READ THIS FROM A TRAVEL AGENT IN CHICAGO:
"Our agency is proof of the American Dream. In 1968, my parents, both native Czechoslovakians, had been traveling on their honeymoon when the Russians invaded their native country. Restricted from returning to Czechoslovakia and unable to return home, they were without a country. Both filed for political asylum with the US govmt, and in late 1968, my parents came to America. Both were able to strive in this great country, by establishing their individual businesses. Twenty years after coming to this country, my mom opened a travel agency (May 1988). This agency is family owned and operated!! My sister, my mom, and I work side-by-side, with our employees, while the airlines squelch our spirits. This demonstration is important to me. I am a college graduate, who returned to the family business, because I am proud of what we have established. I will not let "goliath" keep my spirit from soaring! I am proud to hear we, travel agents, are coming together, to secure our futures, and our childrens' futures!!"
Sincerely,
Kathryn Kunetka
CFO - Your Travel Agent, Inc. Chicago IL
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR ATTENDEES:

  1. NOTICE!!! THIS ACTUALLY WORKS!!! Just pick up the phone and call the offices of your elected representatives in Washington, both of your Senators and your Congressman or Congresswoman, and make an appointment to meet with them in their Washington office either Thursday, October 4th or Friday morning, October 5th. The purpose of your appointment should be to present your representatives with a copy of your concerns and needs as outlined in the proposed new legislation, "Travel Agent Consumer Protection Act of 2001", to invite them to join with you at the rally on Friday, Oct 5th in support of the retail travel agent industry, and to ask for their support in sponsoring this new legislation, and gathering the co-sponsorship of other members of Congress. Many of those who are registered for the march and who have tried to make an appointment with their representatives have been stunned when they actually received an appointment. All it took was a phone call! Members of Congress are much more accessible to voters from their own district who demonstrate such an interest in meeting with them over any issue that they will travel all the way to Washington to meet. Be sure to download the downloadable version of the proposed new legislation from the website and make 25 copies for the members of Congress, the press, etc. To assist you in securing an appointment with your representatives in Congress, I am offering an example of a letter I have used successfully to obtain appointments. It is located at the end of this section of the website.
  2. Contact other travel agents in your area and make them aware of the march on Washington, and refer them to the website at www.travelagentsofamerica.com. Encourage them to register and attend, to get on the bandwagon. This is critical to the overall success of our grass-roots effort.
  3. Print a copy of the 'New Legislation' section of the website, have 25 copies made, and bring them with you when you come to Washington.
  4. Make your own travel arrangements. I will be staying at the Hyatt Regency on New Jersey Avenue on Thursday night. See the new reference to a special hotel rate below at the Westin Fairfax. See the two sections on 'Plans for Thursday Oct 4th' , and 'Plans for Friday Oct 5th' for detailed instructions for that day's activities.
  5. Continue to watch this website, and specifically this section for further instructions, as we prepare in every way possible to maximize the potential positive impact of your investment in time and money you are making by traveling to Washington for this rally and march.
  6. Hotel arrangements for a reduced rate have been arranged at the Westin Fairfax (formerly Ritz Carlton) located at 2100 Massachusetts Ave. for $119.00/night for either Thursday evening or Friday evening. Just call 1-800-WESTIN1 or the hotel direct at (202)293-2100 and ask for the Travel Agents Of America rate. A block of rooms has been held at this rate for both nights. To get from the hotel to the Capitol building, take the Red Line (Metro) from the Dupont Circle station located one block from the hotel to Union Station. Then walk three blocks to the Capitol Building.
  7. Sample Letter to Fax a Request for an Appointment With Your Senators or Congressman:
    October 2, 2001

    Honorable (Name)
    Member, United States Senate/House of Representatives
    461 Dirksen Senate Office Building
    Washington, D. C. 20510

    Dear Senator (Name):

    I am requesting the opportunity to meet with you this Thursday, October 4th in your Washington office to discuss a number of issues facing the travel industry, specifically the travel agent industry. I have attached a copy of proposed new legislation I am calling the "Travel Agent Consumer Protection Act of 2001".

    The events of September 11th did not create the problems that the travel agent industry faces. Our plight has been caused by over six years of what I believe is illegal predatory attempts by the nations full fare airlines (as Clark Howard calls them) to deliberately eliminate an entire retail industry of 27,000 mostly mom and pop travel agencies from the marketplace. The events of September 11th only served to further weaken an industry already weakened by constant attacks from the airline industry.

    It is time our industry's story be told, in individual meetings with our elected representatives in Washington, plus in hearings in both houses of Congress that I am also requesting, (Commerce in the Senate, Transportation & Infrastructure in the House.) Not since the oil oligopoly of nearly 100 years ago tried to eliminate independent mom-and-pop retail distributors of refined oil products has there been such a brazen, coordinated, calculated and well-planned effort, this time by the nations' airlines, to also eliminate an entire industry of independent retail merchants.

    The value of the travel agent industry's over 200,000 employees to our nation was no more evident than during the recent tragic events of September 11th, when not only did we provide accessible personal service to thousands of our stranded customers all over the world, we also provided the same service and assistance to thousands of other travelers who had used airline web sites or airline reservations centers to book their trip, only to find that there was no one available to help them when they needed it the most.

    Thank you for your consideration of my request. I plan on being in Washington beginning on Thursday morning, and would be able to meet with you at anytime after 10:00am on Thursday.

    I look forward to the privilege of explaining what this is all about.

    Sincerely,


    Lawton Roberts

    Attachment: Copy of Proposed Legislation; "Travel Agent Consumer Protection Act of 2001"
    DOWNLOAD THIS DOCUMENT IN MS WORD FORMAT
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