By Jessica Klement, Vice President, Advocacy, American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA)
Advocacy is often described as a long game, and that is true. But every so often, there is a moment that makes clear why sustained engagement matters. The House approval of H.R. 5663, the ACPAC Modernization Act, is one of those moments.
For years, ASTA has pushed for formal travel advisor representation on the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) at the U.S. Department of Transportation. This committee helps inform federal policymakers on issues that directly affect the air travel experience. Yet, travel advisors, despite being the largest single sellers of airline tickets, do not have a formal seat at the table. That gap has never made sense.
If enacted, this legislation would create a dedicated seat for ticket agents on ACPAC. Sure, that sounds procedural and possibly even bureaucratic, but it is much more consequential than that. It would mean that the professionals who help consumers navigate airline cancellations, schedule disruptions, rebookings, fare rules and a constantly changing air travel environment would finally have direct representation in the regulatory process. Advisors know where friction happens because they are the ones helping travelers through it every day.
Jessica Klement, VP of Advocacy, ASTA (Photo Credit: ASTA / Jason Dixson Photography)
The House vote did not happen by accident. It reflects years of work by ASTA members who showed up, returned to Capitol Hill, told their stories and made the case that travel advisors are essential to the modern travel marketplace. They helped lawmakers understand that this profession is not peripheral to the travel ecosystem; it is central to it.
That kind of progress is a reminder that effective advocacy is not about a single conversation. It is about consistency. It is about building relationships, reinforcing credibility and translating the real-world experiences of travel businesses and travelers into something policymakers can understand and act on. When Congress sees the value advisors deliver to consumers, the result is better policy.
That lesson is just as important in moments of disruption as it is in moments of legislative progress.
The partial government shutdown, which has left most of the Department of Homeland Security operating without funding, is another example of why a strong advocacy voice matters. Travel advisors understand better than most that when government systems are strained, travelers feel it immediately. Delays at security checkpoints, pressure on border operations and uncertainty across the transportation system do not remain abstract policy problems for long. They become business problems, service problems and consumer confidence problems.
Even when essential federal employees continue reporting to work, they do so under extraordinary circumstances. TSA officers and other frontline personnel are carrying out critical responsibilities without pay, often amid rising absenteeism and staffing shortages. Those conditions are unsustainable, and the consequences ripple throughout the travel system. If those strains deepen, the effects on travelers and on the businesses that serve them will only intensify.
That is why ASTA has been actively engaged during the shutdown. We joined the U.S. Travel Association and coalition partners in calling on Congress to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. We submitted comments to the House Committee on Homeland Security ahead of its hearing on the issue. And we have encouraged travel advisors and agency leaders to speak directly with their elected officials about how funding lapses affect their clients, their businesses and the broader travel economy.
This is what advocacy looks like in practice. It is not only about pursuing structural wins, though those matter immensely. It is also about responding in real time when instability threatens the infrastructure that makes travel possible.
It is equally important to recognize the human side of these policy fights. The federal employees keeping the travel system functioning during a shutdown deserve more than appreciation. They deserve support. ASTA’s partnership with the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA), along with our $10,000 contribution to its emergency assistance program, reflects a simple principle: the people who support travelers every day should not be left to shoulder these burdens alone.
For travel advisors, none of this is theoretical. They are often the first call when a traveler’s plans unravel and the steady hand when uncertainty takes over. They see how federal policy decisions affect real itineraries, real families and real businesses. That perspective is valuable, and it needs to be heard in Washington.
The House passage of the ACPAC Modernization Act is an encouraging sign that lawmakers are listening. It shows that when our industry speaks with clarity and persistence, progress is possible. At the same time, the shutdown underscores that advocacy cannot pause once a hearing concludes or a bill advances. The work continues because the needs of travelers and the realities of this industry continue.
That is the larger story here. Advocacy is not separate from the day-to-day work of serving travelers. It is an extension of it. It is how we protect our businesses, strengthen the systems our clients rely on and make sure the expertise of travel advisors is reflected in the decisions that shape travel.
As we return to Washington, D.C., April 20–21, for ASTA’s Legislative Day, that mission comes into even sharper focus. Legislative Day is where advisors bring policy out of the abstract and into the real world, sharing directly with lawmakers how federal decisions affect their businesses, their clients and the broader travel economy. Those conversations matter. They build understanding, strengthen relationships and create the kind of momentum that leads to outcomes. At a time when our industry needs both representation and resilience, showing up is not just important. It is how progress gets made.
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