Press Release

For Immediate Release
21 February 2007

Greeley Koch submits comment to US Department of Homeland Security regarding the Traveler Redress Inquiry Point (DHS TRIP)

-- Comments of
Greeley Koch
President/Association of Corporate Travel Executives

The Traveler Redress Inquiry Program
Docket Number: DHS-2006-0077

Attn:
Hugo Teufel
Chief Of Privacy Officer/Department of Homeland Security


I am writing on behalf of the international membership of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), who represent the business travel interests of major corporations as well as the aviation, hospitality, surface transportation, and travel sector support industries, in 49 countries around the world. Forty-six percent of our membership, representing $115 billion in annual business travel expenditures, are U.S. --based companies.

ACTE's primary objective is to promote global corporate growth and stability thorough the science of advanced business travel management. Our association seeks to maximize the corporate return on travel investment, while boosting the productivity and effectiveness of the business traveler on the road. Yet these two elements -- productivity and cost-effectiveness -- are among the first to be compromised by government security programs that do not offer a timely redress programs.

Business travelers relegated to the “No-Fly” list for no other reason than the spelling of their last names (some of which are quite common) have had to endure hours of delays at airports, the cancellation of trips, and in some cases, loss of the ability to travel by air for over a month at a time. “How do I get a traveler off the “No-Fly” list has been one of the most commonly asked question of U.S. - based travel managers in 2006. Furthermore, our research indicates that individuals rejected by the Registered Traveler Program may be subject to further investigation or other action, by their companies.

The current process to extract a traveler from the “No-Fly” list is complicated, slow-moving, and ambiguous as to the final result. Current guidelines for the Registered Traveler program do not include a redress program at all. Redress programs were not presented as integral parts of the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System II (CAPPSII), Secure Flight, nor the Automated Targeting System (ATS).

Traveler convenience aside, delays and trip cancellations due to false positive readings in any of the proposed programs could have cost U.S. companies millions of dollars annually. Dollars that would be better spent in reinvestment, growth, or salaries.

The Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP) by the Department of Homeland Security is a step in the right direction, and clearly indicates the DHS’s appreciation for traveler frustration and the potential for costs to Corporate America. Yet certain criteria need to be met if TRIP is to be effective for business travelers and their companies.

This criteria should include:

• A one-stop process that applies to all government transportation security programs. Once an individual is cleared by the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, all government traveler security-related data bases (including those used by Registered Traveler) should be corrected without further action by the traveler.

• The Traveler Redress Inquiry Program must work considerably faster than the 30 days (minimum time) previously cited to get off the “No-Fly” list. Ideally, the process should take less than a day.

In conclusion, the resources of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives as an industry sounding board, as a source of beta testing, and as a communications vehicle are at your disposal. Our membership has been eagerly awaiting The Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, and may greatly add to its development.

Sincerely,

Greeley Koch
President
Association of Corporate Travel Executives


For more information, contact:
Debbie Flynn
CEO
Brighter Group
The Pod, London's Vertical Gateway
Bridges Wharf, Battersea
London SW11 3BE England
T: 020 7326 9880
F: 020 7326 9890
E: [email protected]
W: www.brightergroup.com