Travel Advisors Dispute Claims Made on New York Times’ Daily Podcast

The New York Times has come under fire from the travel advisor community for comments made on its popular podcast The Daily.

On Wednesday, March 20, journalist Debra Kamin appeared on the podcast, one of the ten most popular podcasts on both Spotify and Apple, to discuss the recent lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors (NAR). In response to the suits, NAR agreed to a settlement that includes changes to allow for more market competition. The episode is called “The Bombshell Case that Will Transform the Housing Market.” 

Kamin made a comparison between NAR, which was found guilty of price-fixing, and travel advisors, explaining that the introduction of online travel agencies (OTAs) has lowered the cost of travel.   

“It used to be if you wanted to book a vacation or buy a flight, you had to go through a travel agent. And you had to pay what they told you to pay. But then we had things enter the marketplace like Expedia and Kayak and Priceline…. It’s a lot cheaper now to book travel than it was when you had to go through an agent.”

Putting aside the claim that travel is “cheaper” now than in the past (travelers spent 22% more on trips in 2023), Kamin’s off-the-cuff remarks, and comparison to NAR, imply that advisors make things more expensive — a claim that is not supported by data, and misstates the history of the industry.

“Obviously, this is a very false and misinformed perspective on our industry, and we told The Daily they got it wrong,” Erika Richter, vice president of communications at the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), told TMR. 

“We understand and share the concern that our members have with stories like this. In our industry, competition is fierce, and travel advisors must always find ways to continuously promote their value to their clients. In that sense, the uproar over content like this presents an opportunity to educate both journalists and consumers about travel advisors’ value.”

Travel advisors are not necessarily more expensive
One of the common misconceptions that plague the industry is the assumption that booking through travel advisors is more expensive than booking through OTAs.

According to Avery Campbell, director of advocacy and industry relations for the Association of Canadian Travel Advisors (ACTA), OTAs have made travel booking more accessible, but that doesn’t mean that they have lowered costs compared to booking with travel advisors.

“[Travel advisors’] knowledge and industry relationships allow them to secure competitive pricing, VIP treatment, and exclusive amenities that travelers booking on their own may not have access to,” he told TMR.

Joelle Goldman, vice president of Host Services & Luxury Hotel Programs at Denver-based Direct Travel, added that booking direct doesn’t mean lower prices.  “Many people don’t realize that a travel advisor will be the same price or less expensive while adding more value than what you may find on the internet.”

Hurting small business owners
TMR was tipped off about Kamin’s comments by agency owner Jamie Anderson, a self-described “frequent listener” of the podcast. He argued the statements were “detrimental to the public perception of the travel advisor community, which [is] predominantly made up of small businesses.”

“My guess is that this claim was made with no research and based on an outdated idea of our industry,” he told TMR. “It was an unintentional slight, but it was said in such a matter-of-fact way that almost does more damage in confirming the misconception that’s already out there.”

ACTA also stated that the unsubstantiated comments pose harm to the travel advisor industry. Campbell told TMR that by perpetuating the misconception that travel advisor services cost more than OTAs, The Daily has done “a disservice to the hardworking professionals in our industry.”

Travel advisors do what OTAs don’t
Whether intentional or not, Kamin’s comments present travel advisors as yesterday’s gatekeepers, whose firm grip on access to bookings kept travel costs high. This fails to recognize what today’s advisors offer to consumers.

“Finding the ‘best price’ is not the same as finding the ‘best value,'” Richter noted. “A good travel advisor will find the right price and service combination for their clients. Discerning consumers know there is a difference between price and value — and to get the best travel experience, you work with a travel advisor.”

With the ever-increasing complexities of planning and booking travel — and meeting clients’ needs — travel advisors offer a level of individualized customer service that can’t be replicated on an OTA’s mass scale.

“The personalized service, expertise, and support that travel advisors provide can be invaluable, especially when navigating complex itineraries, group travel, or unexpected disruptions,” Campbell said. “For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, travel advisors played a crucial role in helping customers rebook or obtain refunds for canceled trips — a level of support not typically offered by OTAs.”

This sentiment was shared by Goldman, who pointed out that travel advisors “help avoid pitfalls” when booking travel, such as staying at a hotel undergoing construction. They can also help deal with the airline if a flight is canceled.

When Martha Chapman, a travel writer based in Toronto, caught COVID while traveling in Italy two years ago, she was thankful to have an agent on her side to re-jig the trip.

“Sure if you know that your trip is 100% guaranteed that nothing (including the weather) will go even a teensy bit wrong, go ahead and book direct,” she told TMR. “But a good agent will not only save you the research time but have great insider contacts and buying power to get you great rates, upgrades, and nice little freebies.”