By Christine Born

It’s reassuring to know we have friends in the general media keeping an eye on the meetings and travel industry. Tom Belden reports and writes about air travel and business travel for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Last week, Belden reported on U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s announcement of appointees to a “Future of Aviation Advisory Committee” to provide advice on “evolving transportation needs.”

Besides skepticism about any real changes as a result of the panels recommendations, Belden questions why the only person on the new committee representing the interest of customers is Bill McGee, a consultant to Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports).

“But why is there no representative from the business travel industry?” he asks. “What about an appointee or two from the National Business Travel Association, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, the Business Travel Coalition, the American Society of Travel Agents, one of the big global-distribution companies or a big travel-management company like American Express, BCD Travel or Carlson Wagonlit?”

Good questions. Between the U.S. Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business campaign and all the visits to Washington by members of the industry, it seems like DOT should be paying more attention.