U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made a major announcement today of appointees to a "Future of Aviation Advisory Committee." The DOT news release is here. Among the goals of the group, which includes airline executives, labor leaders, aviation manufacturers, a Wall Street analyst and academicians, is to provide advice on industry competitivness and "evolving transportation needs."
Sounds good, although there's a long history of expert panels appointed by presidents or DOT secretaries making recommendations that seem to go nowhere. Let's hope this group does better.
What strikes me as odd, or worse, is that the only person on the new committee representing the interest of customers appears to be Bill McGee, a consultant to Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports), who is an excellent appointee and no doubt will do a great job.
But why is there no representative from the business travel industry? What about an appointee or two from the National Business Travel Association, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, the Business Travel Coalition, the American Society of Travel Agents, one of the big global-distribution companies or a big travel-management company like American Express, BCD Travel or Carlson Wagonlit? OK, not two, but just one? If DOT needs any names of people who stand up for air travelers themselves every day, I'll be happy to supply them.
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