May 22,2015 

The Honorable John Kerry 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of State 

2201 C Street, NW 

Washington. DC 20520 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secxetary 

U.S. Department ofTransportation 

1200 New Jersey A venue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

The Honorable Penny S. Pritzker 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

1401 Constitution Avenue, NW 

Washington, DC 20230 

Re: Dockets No. DOS-2015-0016, DOT-OST-2015-0082, a DOC-2015-0001 

Dear Secretaries Kerry, Foxx, and Pritzker: 

My name is Roy Estaris and I have built a small business ful service travel agency in 

Virginia Beach called The Travel Outlet, which I have now ned and operated for 

nearly 29 years. Our niche market is in serving customers tr veling to and tl·om the 

Philippines. Throughout three decades of travel experience, have had the pleasure of 

working in a robust, competitive and volatile industry that h seen global growth decade 

after decade. 

I write now to express my grave concerns with an effort by merica's tluee largest 

airlines to cut out the competition fiom fast-growing airlines ·n the Middle East by asking 

the federal government to renegotiate long-established Open 'kics agreements with the 

Gulf States. To do so would severely hurt the intemational vel community and 

particularly businesses like mine dedicated to serving global ravelers. 

These agreements originally came together to build competi on in an otherwise high 

banier to entry market; and, in so doing, to expand intemati al air travel both to and 
from the United States. Open Skies agreements have done j st that- they've made 

possible the opportunity for members of our communities to onnect with the rest of the 

world in a way that was p(eviously inaccessible to us. 

In many ways, it's been an honor to help connect my neigh rs to their communities 

around the world. And, we've grown over the years as inter ational travel has increased. 

We now have an office in Manila in addition to our shop in irginia Beach. Eighty 

percent of my business hails from the Far East and Dubai. uch oftlus success and 

growth has been a direct result of Open Skies. 

The current agreements are important to allowing business ners like me flexibility to 

offer competitive pdces and convenient access - not to men on comfortable travel. 

Changing the game now would punish intemational traveler including a majority of my 

customers, who would likely face fewer options and higher ices. In my experience, the 

major U.S. airlines are lagging fal' behind the Gulf State can ers in terms of affordability, 

comfort and convenience not to mention sometimes even be er customer service. Any 

attempt to curtail or restrict access to these Gulf State airlin would negatively impact 

my customers and my business a great deal. 

For that reason, I ask that you maintain these agreements as ey are today. Small 

business owners like me compete for survival on a daily bas . Global airlines should 

too. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Yours Truly, 

oy Estaris 

Owner, The Travel Outlet 

Offices in Virginia Beach, VA & Manila 

5347 ~ila Lane Suite 106 Virginia Beach Vi inia 23464 

PH 757 424 33H Fax. 757 424 7320 www: the aveloutlet.com