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Yesterday, the New York Times featured a special section on business travel, including an article by Christopher Elliott on how blogs are starting to change business travel. This site was featured.

Today, Barbara Correa summarizes the article on Yahoo! News, with one comment that I need to address:

Is there something too cozy about customers writing about the airlines, hotels and cars that can award them with upgrades and more? From what I’ve read on most of the blogs written by real road warriors, they never shy from telling it like it is. After all, getting the frustrations off their chest is the main reason most of them do it.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this. On the one hand, it sounds like she is accusing bloggers, including myself, of accepting swag from the travel companies. Yet we’re also honest in our ventings? Let me address this head-on.

No travel company has ever offered me an upgrade, a discount, a free ticket, a wad of miles, an envelope of cash, or, frankly, anything at all. And I’ve never accepted anything for free. I have a code of ethics posted in the “Policies” link at the top of the page. It’s pretty straightforward, I think.

In reality, Correa’s question is a fair one. But it’s not fair to single out bloggers. The question could equally be asked of travel journalists — do they ever get “too cozy” with their subject matter?

Rest assured, if this blogger gets cozy with anyone, it’ll be with the missus.

(image: Team Horton)
tags: travel | blogging