Be sure you get your money's worth

With the world economy on a slow crawl back from the devastation of September 11, there is some bright news on the horizon in unprecedented travel deals with deep discounts. The big question on everyone's mind has always been: Where do I go to get the best deal?

If you are an avid traveler you are familiar with Conde Nast Travel, one of the best travel magazines published. I recently read a startling article by Wendy Perrin, one of the most recognized travel industry journalists in the world. For years her "Stop the Press Perrin Report" has been considered gospel when it came to travel.

In her article, Perrin wove an interesting tale of a lesson hard learned. Read on, and remember -- buyer beware.

"Now more than ever, a low-ball price may not translate to the value you expect. I learned this the hard way when I bought a cut-rate cruise through Travelocity.com. I learned about Internet bargains and service failures.

"The deal I spotted was for a week-long western Caribbean cruise for $649 sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the Mexican Riviera."

Perrin says that in the end her discounted trip cost her $3,536. She says that booking via Travelocity failed to provide the service that a competent professional travel agent would have. In short, they charged her American Express three times, then sent her tickets with the wrong confirmation number on them. When she called Travelocity, she was told it didn't matter, but being a wise traveler, when she contacted the cruise line they advised her she would be denied boarding.

Travelocity then posted an incorrect itinerary, and advised her of wrong boarding times, which would have caused her to miss the ship, or miss booking shore excursions and spa appointments. She further says that when she called, her average hold time was 40 minutes, and she could only get worthless customer service. In the end, she had to work direct with the cruise line to clean up the Internet booking nightmare.

Everyday we get calls in our agency from people who attempted to self-book and self-educate themselves on travel, often with such disastrous results that they call us to plea for help. So here are some tips to consider before you buy:

1. Booking online often waives your rights. There is a huge debate in the travel industry that the average consumer is not aware of. I call it the "click away your rights button." Almost all major airlines and other booking sites have a huge contract that the average consumer clicks "I agree" and moves on. The legal terms of most of these contracts says in the end you forfeit all legal if they don't provide the flight, or make an error.

For example, Travelocity states "Travelocity is not responsible for rate and inventory discrepancies due to technical and human errors." Also most online bookings come with a "no frills no customer service" concept -- it is a commodity with little support or service attached Most consumers want low-ball prices but want customer service as well. The Internet booking engine will never give you the personal one-on-one service most consumers really expect.

2. Call a travel agent and tell them what you have found online. The Internet is a great research tool, and chances are your local agency can not only match what you have found, but often beat the rate and offer you extra perks. But even if the rate is the same, or $10 to $25 higher, that small extra charge will be worth every penny if you have a problem before, during or after travel. A good travel agent is not threatened by the Internet.

3. Budget for hidden expenses. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so be prepared for online hidden expenses and surprises down the road. And if you still feel confident on leaping into uncharted waters, make sure any online company you use has 24-hour live person customer service.

Wendy Perrin summed it up best by saying, "The moral of the story? The Internet has lots of last minute and destination specific discounts, but take precautions before you buy.

My best precaution is: use your local agency. Without a travel agent you are on your own.

Carolyn Kempf is president of Elite Travel in Cape Girardeau. (334-1234 or carolyn@elitetravelinc.com)