So you planned your caribbean vacation many months ago. You paid for your nonrefundable airline ticket and you expect to make a splash or two in the sea this summer. Today you heard over the radio the tour operator you booked with is going out of business. Is this something you should worry about, or do you want to change your plans?
Yes, it is disheartening to hear travel news like this. Once in a while travel businesses do go under, leaving you and your loved ones to fend your yourself. If you are unlucky you would likely be on your vacation, and soaking up the sun on a sandy beach in the islands. Well, you are not so unlucky after all. You can always call your employer and say you have a brief delay in your departure. Better yet, tell them you have an indefinite wait because of circumstances out of your control.
Of course, most people won’t say anything close to that unless they have a new job lined up, or they have decided to change their life and look for something better. But here’s a golden opportunity to spend some more time surfing, cavorting, or hiking in the scenic Caribbean. You can always deal with more mundane matters when the tour operator decides to send a plane to fly you home.
You can expect more tour operators to go broke in the next while because life is not a beach for anyone in the travel business today. Since 911 the travel industry is on a life support system, with no innovative ideas forthcoming. Also, the cost of fuel has skyrocketed over the past few years making travel expensive for everyone.
Airlines don’t offer food on all flights, except if you fork out some greenbacks. Most airlines are no-frills travel hubs, cutting out any and everything they consider is a convenience for the passenger. They also have treated economy passengers with contempt, while encouraging you to pay a lot more to sit in the same seat.
You even have to book and pay for your ticket long before you travel. They zap your credit card and declare your ticket is nonrefundable. Your only hope is to buy insurance, or lose your money if you can’t fly.
Airlines now charge ridiculous charges to change your travel plans. Many people plan their travel well, but circumstances do force us to change our plans sometimes. The airlines are saying that’s fine with them, but you have to pay extra for that privilege. Again, buying insurance or enrolling in one of their loyalty plans would help you avoid these extra charges.
And if those new charges are not enough, airlines now charge travelers for checking in baggage. This is not extra luggage, it is the normal suitcases you would take with you on a flight. That is why so many people are stuffing everything they can manage into their carryon bag.
Given all the extra charges, many people are not traveling unless they have to. As fewer people travel, there is stiffer competition, forcing out the players who can’t manage their costs.
