A surprise fuel charge

Q: I recently booked a package vacation to the Baltics through Vantage Travel. The price included an airline fuel surcharge of $200. I made my full and final payment about three months before I was supposed to leave.

A few weeks ago, I received another invoice from Vantage for an additional fuel surcharge of $120. But my understanding is that once I pay for my tour, I can’t be charged any extras.

It seems to me that Vantage chose to delay the issuing of my ticket until as late as possible, to derive the benefit of the cash flow. So, even though I paid for my tickets some time ago, they weren’t actually booked until now.

I think that if Vantage benefits from issuing tickets later, then it should also bear the risk. It seems reasonable that only packages not fully paid for should be subject to additional charges. What do you think?

— Daniel Chin, West Palm Beach, Fla.

A: I think the price of your vacation shouldn’t change after you’ve paid for it. Period.

It seems wrong to give anyone the impression that their vacation is paid off, when in fact there may be another surcharge or fee that is still due. Until recently, the only complaints I had about a changing tour price came from shady operators that offered cut-rate spring break vacations to college students.

But what I think doesn’t really matter. What do your terms and conditions, which you agreed to when you booked your package, say?

According to Vantage, the second fuel surcharge is allowable.

In fact, Vantage goes out of its way to notify you about the possibility of a follow-up fee. In your tour “participation agreement” there’s a special note that says Vantage reserves the right to “increase the program price in the event of cost increases due to changes in airfares or cruise fares, currency fluctuations, park fee increases, taxes or fuel surcharges.”

When you make a final payment, Vantage warns that, “other items, such as excess baggage charges, fuel surcharges, and port/air taxes, unless otherwise stated, are not included.” And in the front of its catalogs, the company cautions that it occasionally “must pass on price increases for uncontrollable charges — especially air and other fuel charges.”

Is Vantage enriching itself by waiting until the last minute to issue the airline tickets? Ted Sykes, a Vantage spokesman, says it isn’t. “The timing of our issuance of the air tickets is driven by timelines set within our bulk-air agreements,” he explained. “We feel the customer benefits more from the low base air fares in those airline contracts than the cost of incremental fuel surcharge pass-throughs.”

So Vantage’s bottom line is that even with the new fees, you’re still getting a better deal.

I wish I could help you on this one, but my hands are tied. You signed a contract in which you agreed to pay any new fuel surcharge. It doesn’t seem fair to you, and it probably doesn’t seem fair to most people, but rules are rules. I’m sorry.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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