CHICAGO (CBS) – Spring break may be over for students, but summer break is just around the corner.
It's time to start planning.
CBS 2 has been reporting on travel contract rip-offs in recent months. Here's how to ensure your next trip is a success.
Pinky Jackson earned major grandma points with a surprise trip from Chicago to Broadway in New York City.
“She was so overjoyed,” Jackson said of her granddaughter. “She's a big Hamilton fan.”
The City That Never Sleeps gave Jackson's family a great time, except for the part where the hotel room they paid for didn't materialize.
“I knew it was, but it was a loss,” she said. “I had to take it as a loss.”
She and other travelers suffered burns, but it wasn't from too much sunlight. They blamed the vacation failure on a man hawking travel products in Glenwood who lost his place to sleep and got stranded at the airport.
A few months ago, CBS 2 encountered another group of people who were duped by Discounted Travel. They were all in court in a theft case against a so-called travel agency in Oak Lawn.
CBS 2 asked Cheryl Richardson, a travel advisor at Travel 100 Group in Northfield, to help you recognize red flags in the world of travel planning. She said she was “heartbroken” after seeing CBS 2's past stories about people who lost money just looking for deals to go on vacation. That's why,” he said.
She has seen many parts of the world during her 35 years as a travel advisor. Richardson said she would run if someone offered an unlimited number of airline tickets at a bulk price.
“There's no such thing as a pass for unlimited flights on any airline,” she says.
Another big no-no is using Venmo or similar apps to book travel.
“We don't even offer Zelle or Apple Pay or anything like that,” Richardson said. “Paypal doesn't work either.”
She said most people use credit cards “because they have proof.” Using a credit card also gives you a way to dispute the charge if something goes wrong.
Of course, there are plenty of people who have no problem scheduling their own trips online, but Richardson says working with an experienced agent is safer for your wallet.
“We're scrutinizing every travel agency, hotel and cruise line, so if something happens, there are remedies,” she said.
Consumers have additional protection through the American Association of Travel Advisors. The nonprofit mediates complaints and provides a directory of agents who pledge to abide by a code of ethics.
The man who occupied Pinky Jackson's non-existent hotel room is not on the list.
“At the end of the day, I had to take responsibility for the role I played,” Jackson said. “Because I should have known better.”
Now she knows better and is looking forward to clearer skies.
A spokesperson for the American Association of Travel Advisers said the association is “enhancing” its certification program to help consumers distinguish between good and bad agents.
Lauren Victory