Last Friday, the FAA grounded Take-A-Break Travel agency's charter planes because of a cracked windshield and 32 other significant safety violations. The agency told students stranded in Mazatlan that their return home would be on a Northwest Airlines flight the following afternoon.
After the agency informed travelers on Saturday that the Northwest flight was canceled, students investigating the flight found that it never existed. Apparently, the agency misinformed the group to appease many worried and angry travelers. By this time, skeptical of the accuracy and credibility of Take-A-Break's information and ability to orchestrate their return home, student travelers scrambled to book flights on their own. The agency's incompetence forced some students to spend an additional - and unanticipated - $1,000. To prevent similar situations, students should thoroughly investigate their chosen carriers and agencies - particularly seemingly "too- good-to-be-true" spring break travel packages. Every year, thousands of flyers circulate campus offering incredible prices on trips to popular spring break locations. Vijay Jayaraman, an LSA junior, among those stranded in Mazatlan, warns, "When you see a price too-good-to-be-true, it probably is." He says students are used to taking trips with their parents, which generally work out well, but they should not make the mistake of having the same level of trust in these travel agents as they would in their parents. It is true that "bargain" deals offer less security than the travel to which most students are accustomed. Before agreeing to an offer, students should check the safety record of the airline or charter they are flying and the conditions and ranking of their hotel. It is a good idea to seek consumer references from those travel agencies booking trips.
Most important, students should pay for all vacation costs and fees with a credit card. Any reputable travel agent will accept charge payments. Some credit card companies offer safety features, so that if customers convince the company that a travel agency treated them in an unethical and deceptive manner, the transaction can be voided. Similar recourse is not possible if payment is made in cash or by check.
The Take-A-Break travel agency debacle teaches students a valuable lesson - a glossy brochure offering bargains does not guarantee a hassle-free spring break. Take-A-Break Travel should be disciplined, but any punishment will not deter other travel agencies from making similarly shady spring break offers. Students should take note - when it comes to spring break, it is better to pay a little more and worry a lot less.