Read the Fine Print

I read an interesting article today, and I thought it pertained to travel in general. It’s always a good idea to choose a travel agent, or a website that you trust when booking your trips. And always read the fine print…

In an article written by David Wilkening called “‘Free’ Airline Tickets Not Worth the Price” he wrote, “If you won a dozen round-trip coach tickets for two from the US to anywhere in the world, you would probably think it was a great deal. But for a New York man, the price was all wrong.

The contest was part of American Airline’s “We Know Why You Fly” marketing campaign for the best videos, essays or photos about flying experiences.

Fine print in the contest explained that winners must pay federal and state income taxes on the approximate value of $2,200 a ticket.

“I don’t know where they got that $2,200 from. I’ve never spent more than $1,000 for a plane ticket in my life, “ New York winner Jack McCall told The Wall Street Journal Online.

Taxes for each of his 24 tickets came to about $800, he complained.
He complained the tax bill could be higher than the cost of the tickets.

In the end, Mr McCall declined the free tickets.”

Try booking airline tickets online. It gives you more flexibility and the ability to try out many different sites and airlines.