ASTA回应网站文章攻击旅行社
经过Richard D’Ambrosio/
美国旅行社学会(ASTA)本周在网站上发表了抨击,该网站发表了一篇文章,声称旅行社故意收取额外费用,并在客户死亡时赚钱。
Entitled "This Is the No. 1 Secret to Cheap Travel That Your Travel Agent Won’t Tell You,” the article offered up 16 “tips,” most of which attempted to paint agents in a bad light.
“If the idea of planning a holiday trip overwhelms you, perhaps you should consider using a travel agent. Before you do, however, read about the secrets travel agents don’t want you to know, and make sure you learn the No. 1 — on Page 5 — things they keep hidden from customers,” wrote author Barri Segal.
The Cheat Sheet publishes a variety of gossipy and provocative articles, including one today entitled “Special Hair Cuts and More Crazy Rules Kim Jong Un Makes North Koreans Follow.” Much of the publication’s editorial copy are “stories” like the travel agent article, what the trade calls “listicles” – listings of tips or other statements about something topical.
在新闻稿中,阿斯塔(Asta)声称该出版物窃了2013年的妇女节文章,并从澳大利亚的《每日电讯报》(Daily Telegraph)文章中提出了报价。
The article and response from the agency community “presents an opportunity to educate journalists and consumers about travel agents' value,” ASTA said in its statement, “and responding to the inaccuracies in the CheatSheet.com article will help drive home the message that agents provide an invaluable service to the consumer: helping us all see the world.”
ASTA offered a point-by-point response to each of the article’s claims, like these:
1. Article says: They can’t book (or price) all airline carriers.
ASTA回答:“文章的这一部分充满了错误;很难知道从哪里开始。任何仍出售航空旅行的旅行社(并非所有人,就像并非所有零售商都出售所有东西)都可以使用所有人使用的技术,销售包括西南航空在内的任何航空公司的服务。这可以作为空中旅行的独立门票或带有多个组件的包裹。祝您好运,试图在没有专家的帮助的情况下找出比较软件包的值。”
2.文章说:如果某人死亡,他们会赚到最多的钱。
ASTA responds: “This assertion is as false as it is insulting. Suggesting that a travel agent would charge a grieving customer more for an emergency trip is a blanket false statement. Many travel agents arrange travel for their clients with NO FEE at all!
"Since base commissions were abolished more than a decade ago, agents generally charge fees for booking air tickets and have a legal, ethical and practical responsibility to protect their clients’ interests even above their own. An agent’s focus on ‘duty of care’ – helping safeguard you from harm and keeping you and those important to you informed when things go wrong – is priceless. What do you do if find yourself in the midst of a horrific storm (or worse)? Who is there to rebook your flights, cancel or rebook your hotel reservations, provide you with new options smartly and expeditiously? Your travel advisor. Try doing that on your own.”
3. Article says: They make major commissions.
ASTA回答说:“许多州都将代理商符合'受托人'标准 - 也就是说,他们必须将客户的利益提前前进,如果他们不这样做,则可以起诉。作为一项事实信息,通过零售购买的许多商品的利润率有所不同,因此各种零售商在表面上观看时可能会激励更高的利润项目,但这是对拥有的客户的损害许多选择,最终将使零售商的生意损失。旅行社没有什么不同。客户的兴趣必须并且确实是先到先行的。”
4.文章的年代ays: Charging you extra is a game for them.
ASTA responds: “We are again left with sweeping statements based on no tangible evidence. Agents make their money in different ways. They are a diverse group, many with specialties and niche expertise that delivers very high value to their clients who reward the agents accordingly.”
5. Article says: They bait you with cheap vacations.
ASTA回答:“一个谎言假期费用的旅行社没有任何帮助。这篇文章的作者是否真的相信代理商将这些东西弄清楚,以便在给出不良建议的数周或几个月内将其抓住?ASTA估计,当今有40%以上的旅行社是基于家庭的。这并不能为旅行社提供太多的空间来进行诱饵和切换。”
6. Article says: Group bookings can cost more.
ASTA回答:“一般来说,小组预订并不花更多的钱通过旅行社。如果有的话,它花费的费用很少。良好的旅行顾问将与整个小组合作,以确保每个人都保持预算,并且小组活动适合所有人。”
7.文章说:如果您是忠实的客户,他们可能会利用您。
ASTA responds: As for how agents make their money, we are again left with sweeping statements based on no tangible facts. Agents make their money in different ways. They are a diverse group, many with specialties and niche expertise that deliver very high value to their clients who reward the agents accordingly.”