Caveat Emptor, Traveler

January 5, 2011 | Uncategorized

In travel, it pays to shop around.

For example, a few weeks ago I needed to overnight at Heathrow, something I hate to do since London hotel rooms now cost more than mortgages on medium-size American homes. But I knew to head for my computer since a hotel chain’s best rates are often found on its website. I went online and booked a Holiday Inn close to the airport.

When I arrived at the Inn I saw the quoted rate for the room — prominently displayed on the wall behind check-in, probably to demonstrate that everyone was being taken advantage of equally – was £239. Don’t bother with your calculator — that’s $411.

I had gotten the same room online for £46, saving approximately $332. Ah, the power of the keyboard.

But to get the best deal, or to avoid a bad one, you need to not only dig but also read the fine print.

A good “deal” promoted in a popular newsletter that arrived this morning is another example. It touted an eight-day trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia for $999. The price includes round-trip air (on Lufthansa, Finnair, or Aeroflot), hotel, daily breakfast and train travel between the two cities. You need to book by the end of March 2011 to get the low price, which is fair since airfares typically zoom up after that date.

All this for under a grand is a pretty good deal. Or is it?

Reading the small print I saw that one also needs to pay $595 in fuel surcharges, $185 for a visa, plus a departure tax and a security fee. City tours and cultural excursions (to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the Kremlin in Moscow) were also extra. And the hotels are only tourist class or three-star, so most people may also want to consider an upgrade for an additional fee. And, of course, you also need to buy lunch and dinner everyday in two very expensive cities.

Since the proof is in the pudding or, in this case the borscht, this so-called deal isn’t really that good since the cost had tripled before I even left my computer screen.

Tour companies leaving key items out of the advertised cost is similar to the airlines quoting fares that don’t include taxes and other fees. Both are deceptive practices that should be illegal.

So much for living it up like Vladimir Putin for a few days.

Jim Ferri