The Real Deal On Travel Deals

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The Real Deal On Travel Deals
 
Terri Gruca
Reporting

(WCCO) Travel ads sure make it seem like a vacation is within reach. For the last two months, WCCO sifted through the newspapers, searched for travel deals and then called to try to get them.

What was found is that what people see in the newspaper isn't always what they'll get, especially when the deal involves flying.

Advertised Versus Actual Price
A trip to Acapulco advertised at $394 per person really costs $668 per person when we call within a day of the advertisement.

Roundtrip airfare to Rome for $457 could only be had for $722.

"Are you surprised by that?" asked Terri Gruca.

"No," said George Wozniak president of Hobbit Travel.

Wozniak said newspaper ads never include taxes or fuel surcharges, which is perfectly legal.

"You can pretty much average it out to 10 to 12 percent on any domestic ticket that's around $200, so add $25 dollars to it," said Wozniak.

For people planning to fly to Europe, be prepared. Last summer fuel surcharges in Europe soared, so tack on at least $100 and sometimes several hundred dollars more.

However, Wozniak said remember the advertised travel prices "are never going to match up because the taxes aren't there. However, if you look specifically at our ad we do put those things in there."

"I think fuel surcharges should be part of the base fare. That's the way it's always been done is that you have a base fare, then taxes are additional," said Wozniak.

Some travel ads spell out at least a portion of the costs in very fine print, but most don't have everything.

"I don't think anyone's trying to pull the wool over the consumer's eye it again just becomes a matter of space ability," said Wozniak.

Time Delay
Then there's the issue of timeliness.

"We have a delay in the Sunday paper," said Wozniak.

Travel agencies have to have their advertised deals to the newspaper by Thursday. That means those Sunday deals are already three days old.

"By the time it hits the stands late Saturday night usually ... that information can be, at best, close," said Wozniak.

Most travel companies put the same deals on their Web sites days earlier.

What We Found
Seven times when calling within a day the deal is in the paper WCCO was told the offers were already sold out.

Of the 25 travel deals we tried to secure, we were only able to get the actual advertised price twice. Those two deals were a weekend at Grand Rios Water Park and a six day, five night tour of Graceland but neither one involved flying.

To find a complete list head to Terri's blog.

So for those who hope to travel like a King, it pays to check travel Web sites earlier in the week.


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