May 29th, 2010 by admin

There are plenty of ways to find great deals on cheap tickets and hotel deals these days, but even the savviest of travelers can fall victim to the latest travel scam. Deceptive advertising and full-fledged scam artists are part of the travel industry, but you can avoid getting hustled

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There are plenty of ways to find great deals on cheap tickets and hotel deals these days, but even the savviest of travelers can fall victim to the latest travel scam. Deceptive advertising and full-fledged scam artists are part of the travel industry, but you can avoid getting hustled if you look for certain red flags. Whether you’re planning a trip across the country or heading off to a special event in your state, take heed of some of the questionable money-making tactics and common swindles we outline below.

Mysterious resort fees.

Some travel sites and even some hotel sites will promote an eye-catching deal such as rock bottom prices on overnight stays, or an attractive spa package. What they may not reveal until you check out—and have submitted your credit card information—are the daily resort fees and other add-ons to cover the cost of premiums such as turndown services, daily housekeeping or in-room beverages. Make sure you understand the bottom-line price of your hotel package or resort stay so you’re not paying a daily fee.

Fake tourist guides.

This is more common when you’re traveling overseas. What looks like a local tourism company promoting great deals on tour packages may be just another scam. So-called “guides” will pose as agents or employees for a travel company, collect your credit card information to reserve a package and fail to follow through with picking you up at your locale. Make sure you verify the company with a local business bureau and only book tours through approved sites, such as the country’s official visitors’ and convention bureau.

(More) checked baggage fees.

As major airlines make their way out of tumultuous economic times, many are still hiking up baggage fees in an effort to increase revenue. Airlines that increased rates early in 2009 may have increased checked baggage fees again in 2010. Do your homework and verify what the fee is before you book the flight, especially when booking through a third-party travel site.

The “free” vacation.

While you may not have fallen for a timeshare scam, you may still be vulnerable to the allure of cashing in on a free vacation deal. These offers are circulating the Internet in the form of an e-mail offer that promises a free vacation if you sign up for a discount travel club or some other type of membership program. The problem with these “deals” is that you end up paying a subscription fee, initiation fee and some form of monthly charges just to maintain your membership. Avoid these programs altogether and book your travel the old-fashioned way so you can stay in control.

Deceptive wording on a special offer.

Today’s travel deal alerts and extremely low fares are attractive to the casual traveler scanning websites for the latest deal, but beware. Super-cheap travel tickets are usually priced one-way, not round trip, so the actual price you pay will be double, plus taxes and fees. If you’re booking hotel or resort accommodations, make sure that the package or deal price is per person, not based on double occupancy. Most hotels and resorts post deals only based on double occupancy, so rates may be considerably higher when you’re traveling solo, or with a party of two or more.

When you’re seeking out the best deal for an upcoming trip, make sure you’re not falling for any of these common travel scams. Spending a little time learning about an offer’s fine print and verifying a company’s background can save you a lot of money—and stress—as you start the booking process.

LowFares.com is giving away one free flight to two lucky winners in our Summer Travel Survey Contest. To enter, take the LowFares.com Summer Travel Survey. Your participation automatically enters you into a drawing to win a 0.00 gift card for your travel plans!

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Takeoff: Tylerdurden1

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