Tag Archives for lobbying.
People forget that when they are on a plane they’re in public, and they do things they would normally only do when no one else is around. They clip their nails, fight with their spouse, and snort coke. And they reveal secret lobbying plans to “jam” bills through the California legislature when nobody is looking.
Two Florida Congressmen – Bill Posey (R-FL) and Charlie Crist (D-FL) – have proposed legislation that would prevent the federal government from negotiating lower rates on lodging than what they paid based on 2019 rates. They want to make sure the government pays more than it has to for travel.
What Represenative Posey wants to do is require the federal government to overpay for lodging – not to reduce allowable hotel rates – even though market rates may be falling. The federal government spends billions on travel, and the hotel lobby shop AHLA thinks this will “allow hotels to be fairly compensated for the services they provide.”
In reality it’s a backdoor subsidyto hotel chains and owners. Although it wouldn’t work the way the hotel industry thinks.
Taking money from poor people in Africa to give to airlines is bat crazy. GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa (2018) was US$1586. In some countries it’s much lower. 18 countries in Africa are already at their capacity for debt. Safe drinking water strikes me as a higher priority than airline subsidies, and in the current pandemic I’d focus more on lack of testing and lack of ventilators and personal protective equipment than giving it to failed airline executives.
IATA, the International Air Transport Association – the international trade association for airlines – says airlines should not have to refund a customer’s money when flights are cancelled.
Hotel industry lobby group the American Hotel and Lodging Association sponsored a push poll to support eliminating or undermining protections of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
As the lobby shop – which represents “9 of the 10 top U.S. hotel brands” including Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, and Hilton – explains, “Online web sites and social media platforms have claimed that CDA Section 230 gives them protection from any third-party user publishing information or content to their website.”
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
