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Show yfetting back is nice, too tHalf the fun is getting there By SYLVIA WINTERFELD Chronicle Staff can get there illegally for $100," were the last " j t0 fall on my astonished ears as I walked out . ah) travel agency. Some people will do anything oney That's' probably the most important 0f Tctudent should keep in mind when making : . jans for a trip abroad. 1970 hundreds of students were left stranded in " 2n countries with no return fare. The agency : vec World Academy, went bankrupt during 'middle 0f the tour and found itself lacking in ' :unds to finance the trip home.. F n since that occurrence, the Civil Aeronautics Rard (CAB) has cracked down on all agencies, suiting in a volume of new rules and regulations. Despite these precautions, there are still many companies trying to take advantage of students. think the chances of getting stuck are remote," Paul Cracroft, coordinator of several trips abroad. Mr. Cracroft feels that in light of the new CAB rulings, the only way a student could be stranded is through his own stupidity. "You're safe if you work with reputable agencies, it's the fly-by-nighters that give you the trouble." The most important thing to watch for is "bargain prices." If an agency offers round-trip fare from New York to London for $99, you can be sure there's something rotten in Denmark. "It would be nice if all lies were true," says Deon Caddy, assistant to the director of cultural programs of the International Cultural Exchange School. "Unfortunately, most of these agencies plan on being in business for only a few months." What frequently happens, explains Mr. Caddy, is that the traveler is not issued a return ticket. He is told that he must report to a certain agency a day or two before returning home and pick up his ticket. As soon as it is time to collect the ticket, the agency claims that they never heard of such a flight or a false address or agency is given out, leaving the traveler with no ticket and no way to get home. Under present rulings there are two plans under which an agency can qualify for a flight at charter rates: 1) the entire plane must be filled with a group, everyone of which has been a member for at least six months. If even one person is on the flight illegally, the CAB can force the plane to be grounded, or 2) a student study travel plan. Under this rule, the flight plan must be filed with the CAB no later than six months in advance. Many agencies have tried to beat the system by back-dating membership cards, but as most have found out, it doesn't work. The CAB cannot close down the company, but they can ground the plane or remove illegal passengers from the flight. It is interesting to note though, that none of the companies cited by CAB are still in existence. A critical ruling by the CAB requires all agencies to hold enough funds in escrow to finance the tour. "The agencies must prove they can handle the tour without one extra red cent," says Mr. Cracroft. Up until now, they have been "reaching a point on faith." Explains Mr. Caddy, "If a tour is scheduled for June, the money from students starts coming in February." This money is used to pay off the debts to hotels and airlines from the last year's tour. "Once you're behind, you've got to pay last year's debts out of this year's money. You must keep ahead of the money game." The problem arose that when the tour was only halfway finished, the agency had run out of money, leaving the students with no way to get home. Now, when a student sends in money, it must be filed in an escrow account. The account number must be given on request. The agency is allowed to keep five percent of the monies to pay for travel agents. To prevent agencies from paying off last year's debts with this year's funds, the money is released on a graduated scale. "By June, 50 percent of the money has been released. The charter must be paid by then." Mr. Cracroft emphasized that it is important to be selective about who arranges your tour. "We try to avoid setting up our own tours. The tours are not set up because they are inexpensive. We'd rather have a student pay a little more and have a reputable company behind him." These tours are still by far below the commercial rate. Caution is probably the key word for students to remember when planning a tour. When calling an agency, ask for their escrow account number. If they hesitate to give it, call the CAB or the Better Business Bureau. If at all in doubt, call another agency. Try to go with one with a well-known name and a good reputation. Make sure they have been in business for a few years and know what they are doing. "It's very rational that a company will try to get away with as much as it can for as long as it can," says Mr. Caddy. In these days of skyjackings, sabotage and extortion, ex-tortion, the traveler has no assurance that his return journey will be uneventful, but the streets of Paris are no place to spend a vacation. |
