• What's ticked?
• Accolades
• Contact us

c o l u m n s

• Cheap Charlie
• ChrisCrossings
• Err Travel
• Leocha
• Travel Notes
• Archives

s u b s c r i b e

• Elliott's E-Mail, a free weekly newsletter, is your insider resource for moneysaving ideas.

First name

Last name

E-mail address

Subscribe
Cancel

• Like what you see? Now you can become an underwriter.

a l s o

• Ticked e-mail
• Visit Tripso
• Referring sites
• Home

s e a r c h

• Find a story.



(c) Elliott Publishing.

Credible Conflict
ChrisCrossings · April 27, 2000

Q: If you can stand yet another comment on the ongoing travel agent "fam trip" debate, here's one more in response to your latest column.

I've been a journalist for over 20 years, many of those as a travel journalist. No, I have never been a travel agent. Like you, however I know a lot of travel agents (some are even friends) and get a lot of input from them. But, I don't have to be a travel agent to understand "conflict of interest".

I say if a company pays for your trip (as in a fam trip), then it is a conflict of interest. You no longer have an unbiased opinion about the property. Plus, I've been on my fair share of press trips, and believe me, you do get special attention. It's not a fair representation of the services the property "really" offers.

So, what's a travel agent to do? I say do the same as freelance writers. Pay your own way and write (or give) an objective opinion on the destination.

Most of the more reputable travel publications will not accept stories from freelance writers who have taken a freebie. A few even ask for receipts to prove you paid your own way.

I have a similar policy in all of our publications. No comps!

It does compromise the editorial integrity of the publication, just as fam trips compromise a travel agent's capability to offer an "unbiased" recommendation to their clients.

As I said, I know a lot of travel agents, and guess what, the best ones do investigate their destinations at their own expense. I can name about 20 or so right off the top of my head that do just that. They are the real experts!

-- Candy Harrington

A: You've made a good point. As I noted the first time we brought up the issue of freebies, travel agents and travel writers both make a troubling compromise when they accept reduced-rate or free airline tickets, hotel rooms or other services.

On the one hand, it's difficult (if not impossible) to evaluate a supplier without getting some kind of assistance - a break on the plane fare or a room rate discount. Neither agents or journalists typically make enough money to travel to the exotic places they write about or sell.

On the other hand, by accepting these reduced rates, you're left with a sense of obligation. It's pointless to deny that we owe the suppliers something. We do. They know it. We know it.

I also agree that we get a distorted view of the product. The resorts or cruise lines put their proverbial best foot forward. I've seen it myself time and again.

Is the only solution to pay full fare and travel incognito? Perhaps. In order for that to become practical 1) travel magazines would have to quadruple the rates they pay writers; and 2) customers would have to pay $75 transaction fees.

I know, I know. It's not gonna happen.

So we're stuck with a system that's hopelessly flawed. It's one, I should mention, that suppliers love because the soft dollars they spend "comping" travel writers and travel agents are almost as good as money spent on advertising. The rate of returns are exceptionally good when measured in positive ink and boosted bookings.

Here's the next-best solution, then. We should disclose our bias right up front. Newspapers like the Los Angeles Times already do that with certain articles. They publish a tagline indicating that some of the information in the story is based on a press trip.

I think agents and other travel publications would be wise to follow that lead. How? Well, when a client asks "have you been there?" the agent says, "yes, I went there on an all-expenses-paid junket." Then let the client decide what the agent's opinion is worth.

As a consumer, I'm not afraid to ask my travel agent about the financial arrangements of a trip. I don't think agents should be offended when a customer asks if they got a freebie or not. Ditto for reporters - they ought to be eager to tell all.

Disclosure will only enhance our credibility. The journalists and travel agents who oppose it probably have something to hide.

Christopher Elliott's column appears on Thursdays. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at chris@ticked.com. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.