2008 shaping up as the year of the fee
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What if energy prices fall? Shouldn’t I get a refund on my fuel surcharge?
Everywhere you look, there seems to be a fuel surcharge waiting to be discovered. Cruise lines imposed them on passengers late last year (in some cases even on fares that had already been paid for in full) and airlines have been trying to add them to their “competitive” fares for weeks. Never mind that fuel surcharges are a bad business practice, disingenuous, and probably illegal. Did I say “illegal”? Yes, I did, and the Florida Attorney General thinks I might be right. Fuel surcharges appear to be here to stay.
What you should expect: Assuming Florida’s top lawyer can’t stop the cruise lines from charging a fee that they once promised to never impose and assuming airlines make their excessive fuel fees stick, we are well within our rights to ask for something in return. It’s a simple request, really. When fuel prices drop, we want our money back. In cash — not credit. A review of past fuel surcharges suggests travel companies pocket the money even when fuel prices fall.
When I pay a mandatory “resort fee” shouldn’t I get all of those extra amenities they promise?
Let’s just get one thing out of the way: Mandatory resort fees are evil. Totally evil. When a hotel quotes you a rate, it shouldn’t be allowed to tack on another $10 or $20 a night for services you may or may not use. That’s just wrong. But this isn’t the place to discuss the wrongness of these surcharges. They’re here and I’m not going to persuade the lodging industry to drop them in this story. My colleague Scott McMurren, who writes a terrific travel column for the Anchorage Daily News, pointed out that in some places, resort fees have spread faster than a bedbug infestation. “The Hawaii hotel industry, for example, now is in the habit of charging mandatory resort fees of between $15 and $25 per room per day,” he says. “Apparently, there is no way around these bogus shake-downs. And what do you get? Nightly turndown service, free local calls and access to the wireless Internet system. Hah! I am going to throw up.”
What should you expect: Exactly what you’re paying for. And that’s the trouble with resort fees — they don’t always deliver what they promise. How many times have you tried to log on to a wireless hotspot in your hotel room, only to get either a slow-as-molasses connection or none at all? How often have you shown up at the resort gym, only to find that your favorite exercise equipment is busted? How many times have you gone to the pool to discover that there aren’t enough towels, or that the water is full of rambunctious guests? If a hotel doesn’t give you what it’s charging you for, shouldn’t you be entitled to a refund?
Look, I’m not endorsing resort fees or fuel surcharges. I’m not in favor or more security fees and I think the new luggage costs are unconscionable.
Here’s what I am saying: If we’re going to pay more, shouldn’t we expect more?
Every Monday, my column takes a close look at what makes the travel business tick. Your comments are always welcome, and if you can’t get enough of my column, drop by my blog for daily insights into the world of travel.
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