Comments on: Vacation inflation? http://www.elliott.org/blog/vacation-inflation/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jade Quek http://www.elliott.org/blog/vacation-inflation/comment-page-1/#comment-1939 Jade Quek Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:35:49 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/vacation-inflation/#comment-1939 I had put some airline reservations on hold Tuesday night with plans to buy the tickets Thursday evening. This is more than one month before we have to fly out, more like 40 days. It seemed like a good deal, less than $500 for 2 tickets from LA to Houston. Well just when I clicked the button that evening to purchase these tickets I get a message saying the fare had changed. Well it had gone up an additional $275! In two days? Feelings of confusion, incredulity and anger went through me in quick succession. I had been told in the past that I should remain loyal to one airline and that was what I was trying to do, to stay with American. And you'd think they'd notice that I take 2 flights with them or more every year for vacations. And silly me - I thought that would count for something. So I'm not playing the loyalty game anymore, I need to get more for my hard earned dollar! I started checking around and found the fare I wanted on Frontier, at less than $500 for 2 tickets, including all the assorted fees and taxes that airlines normally tack on. And I am adding insult to American injury (although I'm sure they won't care) - I'm using my AAvantage credit card to pay for the tickets. I'll get my miles one way or another!! I'm taking my power back. I had put some airline reservations on hold Tuesday night with plans to buy the tickets Thursday evening. This is more than one month before we have to fly out, more like 40 days. It seemed like a good deal, less than
$500 for 2 tickets from LA to Houston. Well just when I clicked the button that evening to purchase these tickets I get a message saying the fare had changed. Well it had gone up an additional $275!

In two days? Feelings of confusion, incredulity and anger went through me in quick succession. I had been told in the past that I should remain loyal to one airline and that was what I was trying to do, to stay
with American. And you’d think they’d notice that I take 2 flights with them or more every year for vacations. And silly me – I thought that would count for something. So I’m not playing the loyalty game anymore, I need to get more for my hard earned dollar!

I started checking around and found the fare I wanted on Frontier, at less than $500 for 2 tickets, including all the assorted fees and taxes that airlines normally tack on. And I am adding insult to American injury (although I’m sure they won’t care) – I’m using my AAvantage credit card to pay for the
tickets. I’ll get my miles one way or another!!

I’m taking my power back.

]]> By: Richard Wong http://www.elliott.org/blog/vacation-inflation/comment-page-1/#comment-1938 Richard Wong Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:22:35 +0000 http://beta.elliott.org/photos/vacation-inflation/#comment-1938 Cruise ships are the biggest source of vacation inflation in the travel industry. A seven-day Alaskan cruise for only $799 sounds like a great deal for a single traveller, right? But then when you double that price ("fares based on double occupancy"), tack on $140 in taxes and port charges (and soon to increase by another $50 due to local Ballot Measure 2), another $900 for open-jaw airfare (departing from Vancouver but returning from Anchorage), add another $800 in shore excursions, $100 in internet charges, and $200 for beverages and specialty dining venues, you're paying nearly THREE TIMES the advertised $799 sticker price. How's that for inflation? :-) Cruise ships are the biggest source of vacation inflation in the travel industry. A seven-day Alaskan cruise for only $799 sounds like a great deal for a single traveller, right? But then when you double that price (“fares based on double occupancy”), tack on $140 in taxes and port charges (and soon to increase by another $50 due to local Ballot Measure 2), another $900 for open-jaw airfare (departing from Vancouver but returning from Anchorage), add another $800 in shore excursions, $100 in internet charges, and $200 for beverages and specialty dining venues, you’re paying nearly THREE TIMES the advertised $799 sticker price.

How’s that for inflation? :-)

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