Discount vacation packages

Hot deals on discount vacation packages are almost as plentiful as sand on a beach this summer. Pick a destination and you likely will find numerous ads on Web sites and in newspapers to attract tourists with one-stop shopping tours. Packages vary widely, with some travel companies offering better prices than others on airfare, hotel, car rentals, meals, recreation and transfers.

Tour operators put together travel packages that combine all of these elements and resell them to the public at a cost that usually undercuts standard rates, travel experts say. You can save as much as 70 percent on your vacation packages, but buyer beware.

Before you invest in a package tour, get some answers. Ask about the accommodations and prices. Check out unbiased reviews on accommodations and services to make sure they are up to your standards. Also read the fine print. Ask questions about refund policies and check specific dates of travel.

Find out what's included in the total cost of the vacation package. And be sure to look for hidden expenses. "A lot of package tours don't include departure taxes," says Nne Nne Ibeawuchi, owner of Soul Planet Travel, a Black-owned travel company based in Wichita, Kan. "For Brazil, the average departure tax is $150. In Africa, it can be as much as $300."

Solomon Herbert, publisher and editor-in-chief of the guide, Black Meetings and Tourism, recommends that travelers consult with a reputable travel agent who has personally been to the chosen vacation spot. "A travel agent [can] protect you and make sure you get what you pay for," Herbert says. "Unfortunately, people get into deals that are too good to be true, then they see that what they paid for isn't like anything in the brochure."

For example, a sampling of online travel Web sites produced bargains on all-inclusive vacations from a major resort chain, which has hotels in the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Mexico. During June and July 2006, you can bring children, who can stay and eat for free. That also means they can enjoy, at no extra cost, resort sports, lessons and activities, including supervised children's activities. Hotel rates start at $75 per person or $150 per couple per day.

The rate is advertised on the resort's Web site, but a call to the toll-free number to verify the hotel rate didn't quite check out. The reservations operator said she couldn't honor that price, although it is advertised on the Web site. She quoted a higher hotel rate of $195 per night, based on double occupancy plus tax. The total hotel cost was increased to $223 per person. Children still stayed free during the promotion period.

When asked why the lower hotel rate advertised on the Web site was not being honored, the operator said the $150 hotel rate is only available "if tourists make a long distance call directly to participating hotels in the Caribbean to book the rate."

If Paris suits your fancy, a tour operator is offering an extremely low-rate, value-loaded travel deal, including airfare and hotel packages that start at $699 per person, based on double occupancy for a 7-night stay.

The package is available from September 11 through October 2006 and includes a Seine River cruise, daily breakfast and a 10 percent discount coupon for the famous Galleries Lafayette department store. Hotel and city taxes are included, airport and government taxes and fees of $199 per person are additional. The package offers Sunday departures and Monday return flights.

While the Internet is one of your best sources to check out vacation deals, you must do your homework, talk to travel agents, check hotel locations, prices and ratings. Shop around, so you get what you expect and what you pay for.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning