<B> Letters</B>
<B>Recognizing the Regionals</B>
While I applaud your selections for the 25 executives who made the greatest impact on the business travel industry in 1997 (<I>BTN</I>, Jan. 12), you overlooked one aspect of the business that plays a vital role--regional corporate agencies. It was not, by any means, a simple task to bring together a group of large players in one marketplace to try to put some sanity back into this business, as was done with the Travel Management Alliance. An organization representing $800 million in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut marketplace makes it a dominant influence in the industry and I'm surprised we were overlooked in your choices of major players. Perhaps in the future, you will reexamine the role we play in trying to provide quality services, save our corporate accounts money and exist with a 6.92 percent commission. Some recognition would have been nice.
<I>Larry Austin
Chairman and CEO, Austin Travel</I>
<a name="influential"><B>More Influential Executive</B>
I would like to thank Business Travel News for including me among so many distinguished leaders as one of the travel industry's 25 most influential executives for 1997 (<I>BTN</I>, Jan. 12). However, I would like to state that this award, while designed for individual achievement, in my case, must be considered recognition for all the corporate travel and purchasing executives who provided leadership to the Business Travel Contractor's Corp. initiative, many from BTCC's genesis in 1992.
These industry leaders took professional risks both within their corporations and among their peers in supporting BTCC. They provided the early thinking about what was broken in the business travel distribution system, and ongoing advice and counsel to me as BTCC's spokesperson. It is likely that the industry will never fully appreciate the deep commitment they had to redefining relationships with suppliers and distributors, advancing their corporations' travel management strategies and bettering their profession.
In your Top 25 story, you noted "it is the rare travel manager who is named to this exclusive list of the industry's most influential decision makers." Well, I know a few dozen who are responsible for leading fundamental change over the past several years. The travel industry is indebted to these Most Influential Executives of the 1990s!
<I>Kevin P. Mitchell</I>
<a name="national"><B>National Claims Service First</B>
We at National Car Rental read with interest the story about car rental service (<I>BTN</I>, Nov. 24, 1997). It was an interesting assessment of service in our industry.
One piece of information rang wrong to us--the claim that car rental services began in 1989 with the launch of Hertz's #1 Club Gold. In fact, our Emerald Club preceded that by a year. In celebrating the Emerald Club's 10th anniversary this year, we noted that the introduction of our Emerald Club Aisle Service occurred in March 1988. Until someone can come forward with an earlier service, we proclaim the Emerald Club to be the first. We're ten years and counting with the best express service in the industry.
<I>Dan Callahan
Director of Public Relations
National Car Rental System Inc.</I>
<a name="inplant"><B>Inplant Agent Incensed</B>
I must respond to the letter from Wendy Pena of FWP Travel (<I>BTN</I>, Jan. 26) complaining that Mr. Whitesage disparaged travel agents by making remarks about their worth--and then stating that she offers a better quality of service than agents working at inplants. This is the clearest case of the pot calling the kettle black that I have ever seen.
As an inplant agent with over 11 years of experience, I offer my clients unparalleled customer service regardless of time restraints. I have the satisfied, happy clients to prove it. So for future reference I would suggest that Ms. Pena "rethink what her purpose is to the travel industry rather than making remarks about other people's worth."
<I>Eric Pearson
American Express/Beers Construction Co.