No Wimps

While there is no doubt that a significant number of travelers are deciding to forgo leisure air travel at this time, I am of the opinion that the decline of business air travel is far outstripping the decline of leisure air travel. Unfortunately, this decline is not necessarily due to the wimp factor.

I am convinced the major reason companies have forbidden their employees to travel is on the advice of their attorneys, not out of concern for their employees’ safety. The attorneys are (unfortunately correctly) warning employers: Ask an employee to travel on behalf of the company and be prepared to defend an enormously expensive lawsuit in the event anything happens.

Even though the chances of this happening are infinitesimal, the absolute certainty of expensive litigation and the virtual certainty of an unrealistic jury award to the employee’s survivors, makes even asking an employee to travel--let along demanding it--very poor corporate policy indeed.

HENDRIK G. VAN HELDEN

Los Angeles