WE’VE ALL seen holidays on offer on the internet at ridiculously low prices, now holidaymakers are being warned to be wary of travel agents who make online offers that appear too good to be true. The UK Trading Standards Institute (TSI) says many cheap-looking deals start to escalate in price once extras, such as fuel charges are added to the cost.
Research issued today from the trade association cites the example of a seven-night holiday in Benidorm that ultimately cost 266 pounds sterling for two adults, despite being advertised at 59 pounds sterling per person.
Bruce Teloar, lead officer on travel at the TSI told Real Holiday Guides: “This misleading and illegal cocktail of confusion is being allowed to flourish and consumers are clearly being enticed to check out particular holidays and flights with unrealistic prices. Travel firms are adding the word ‘from’, as in ‘Lanzarote, from 75 pounds sterling’ and then think it is acceptable to fail to offer any holidays that even come close to that magical figure once must-pay supplements are added in,” he said.
Teloar added that stabilising fuel prices should mean travel agents bringing down prices rather than upping them.
