There's been a dust-up between the U.S. Travel Association and the Global Business Travel Association over the issue of checked bags.
The GBTA, formerly known as the National Business Travel Association, took the rare step of criticizing a U.S. Travel Association position -- a proposal about checked bags.
Mike McCormick, executive director of GBTA, characterized a U.S. Travel Association proposal to improve air travel security and screening "a thoughtful first step towards updating aviation security including the creation of a Trusted Traveler program."
Then came the zinger.
"While we recognize the difficulties facing travelers, Transportation and Security Administration and airlines in regard to checked bags, we do not support the suggestion that the Department of Transportation require airlines to allow one checked bag as part of the base airfare," McCormick says. "Airlines should be able to price their products as the market will bear."
The GBTA statement came in response to a new U.S. Travel Association report, A Better Way: Building a World Class System for Aviation Security [pdf], calling for the creation of a trusted traveler program to speed road warriors through security and requiring airlines to include one checked bag in the base ticket price.
The U.S. Travel Association argues that the one checked bag requirement would shorten wait times in security lanes because travelers would take fewer carry-ons.
An Amadeus and IdeaWorks report estimated that airlines took in $22.6 billion in ancillary revenue -- much of it in bag fees -- in 2010.
The GBTA membership includes both buyers -- i.e. travel management companies -- and suppliers, including airlines.
Note: A grammatical note to the U.S. Travel Association on the title of its report about "Building a World Class System for Aviation Security." Some would argue that the current service gap between airline elite and coach passengers already creates a world class system for aviation security. Perhaps you meant "a world-class system?"