Travel Package Advice

SBJ Staff

A Branson business owner pleaded guilty Wednesday to his role in a tax evasion conspiracy worth more than $1.8 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.David D. Large, 51, was a partner in a travel club, first called Vacation Travel Outlet and later called Vacation Service of America, from 2000 to 2004, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Large was sales manager for the business, which sold travel club memberships claiming to offer discounts on airfare, cruises, hotels, golf, rental cars and condominiums. Large admitted not filing federal income tax returns for tax years 2000-04, saying he and co-conspirators attempted to conceal $1,803,728 in income from the Internal Revenue Service. The group received their profits from ownership of the company through withdrawals and checks from the company bank account made payable to “cash,” according to the release. he also admitted to withdrawing money in small batches, so as not to trigger reports to federal agencies required for transactions of $10,000 or more.along with agreeing to pay the taxes owed, plus any interest and penalties, Large is subject to up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Branson businessman pleads guilty to tax evasion

Whether you’re searching for the best travel bargains or you’re simply strapped for time, vacation packages are a very convenient and cost-effective travel solution. when you purchase a package that includes airfare, hotel, tours, rental cars, food, and other services, it eliminates the need for you to have to book everything separately and research prices. furthermore, you can often get better deals when you purchase a package because the provider purchases flights, hotel rooms, etc. in bulk and can thus offer you discounted prices when bundling everything together.

Perhaps you have a flexible schedule and are open to scheduling impromptu vacations. if so, you’ll find that vacation packages are often a great way to take advantage of last minute deals. when you sign up for email alerts with travel deals websites, you can stay on top of all of the latest bargains, most of which are usually package deals.

When you plan a vacation to a new place completely on your own, many things can go wrong. not only is trip planning incredibly time consuming, you can end up staying in a bad area, being far away from the attractions you want to visit, or getting ripped. when you book a package deal that includes tours, your itinerary is completely planned out for you so there are no unpleasant surprises. moreover, it is the job of travel agencies and package providers to ensure that you have the best vacation possible. Travel agencies are there to help you if any issues arise and make sure that things run smoothly throughout your trip. some package deals even include insurance in case you get money stolen or lose your luggage.

When you travel with a group, it can be particularly beneficial to purchase a package deal. Bear in mind that package prices are set based on double occupancy of hotel rooms. Prices may be slightly different if you are traveling solo. if you are traveling with a group, you may be able to score an even better deal. Travelers with children in tow may want to look for travel package deals that offer discounted prices for children. if you want to book a package at an all-inclusive resort, you may be able to find a resort that doesn’t charge for kids. Resort deals may also include airfare, airport transfers, and other extras.

Whether you’re hoping to explore historical attractions in Europe, kick back on a stunning beach in Australia, or visit ancient ruins in Mexico, you’re sure to find a package deal that suits your travel tastes. There is a variety of great package deals available for solo travelers, honeymooners, and families alike.

The Benefits of Booking Vacation Packages

Have you ever wanted to go on a vacation that did not have to do with packing your bags, loading up in a car, checking in at a hotel, paying for all of your meals, your rental car, and then having to pack everything back up again as you go to your next destination? if you have, then a cruise ship deal is probably what you’re looking for. Here are a few ways to get discounts on vacations on cruises.

One of the best things about going on a cruise is that once you have arrived, you don’t have to go anywhere else. Sure, there are stops that you can make, but as you arrive at every destination point, you can leave all of your luggage and belongings behind. that is because your cruise ship follows you wherever you go.

Whether you want to go on a tropical cruise to the Bahamas, or a more frigid cruise up to Alaska, where ever your heart desires, there is always a cruise ship going in that direction. even better, there is usually a cruise ship deal coming your way.

The first thing you should do to locate a deal is to choose a destination that is very popular. Next, you should look for a deal during the off-season. Typically, this is during the winter time or just after winter heading into spring. the objective is to search for cruise ship deals during non-peak seasons where customers are sparse and they are looking to fill their ships by offering exceptional deals.

An example of when not to go looking for a cruise deal is during the summer. even better, try to find a deal on a Hawaiian cruise in June or July. It’s not going to happen. the ships are already filling to capacity and if anyone wants to get on board, they will more than likely have to pay more just to be one of the lucky few.

Your best bet is to use a travel company which is experienced in booking cruise ships. They will know when the best deals are available and will alert you to their availability as they appear. So whether you want to go to Australia or the Caribbean, they will be able to coordinate the vacation package of your dreams at a price you can afford.

To conclude, searching for a cruise ship deal on your own is possible using the many online services available today. however, to increase your odds of finding an inexpensive vacation on a luxury cruise liner, you should find a travel company that you can trust so that you can literally sail off into the bright red sunset of your dreams.

Cruise Ship Deals – how to find Vacation Cruise Ship Deals

It used to be so simple: the price you were quoted for an airline ticket, rental car or cruise used to be the price you actually paid.

Ah, the good ol’ days.

Today, the rate you’re given is almost never the final price. It’s considerably more.

Travel companies stripped away many of the items that used to come with their products and began charging extra for them. they insist these fare games are legal, which, by and large, they are.

But does that make them right? it depends on your perspective.

As a business, the answer is often “yes” — they’re following a mathematical model that assures they’re making more money while only upsetting the customers who are expendable. but as a traveler, these practices — euphemistically referred to as “unbundling” and “a la carte pricing” — are unconscionable.

But don’t take my word for it. Talk with Arizona State University’s Marianne Jennings, a renowned business ethicist. she says there are two reason companies go a la carte. “It makes them more profitable,” she says, “and it’s not as transparently comparable with competitors’ flat fares.”

In other words, unbundling confuses customers and makes travel companies more money. maybe it makes companies more money because it’s confusing.

There is a way to avoid this a la carte anarchy. but let’s define our terms first. what do customers expect from prices?

Just as important, there are items that shouldn’t be a part of the price. for example, insurance for rental cars, or restaurant meals at a hotel or spa treatments on a cruise ship. Travelers expect these items to be priced separately, and you’ll get no argument from me on that.

But that isn’t the direction the travel industry is moving in. in fact, according to Mike Simonetto, the principal and global leader of Deloitte Consulting’s pricing and profitability practice, travel companies are inching closer to a “zero” fare, in which the base price is free and everything is added on to it. “Free is not necessarily bad,” he told me. “If you think of the comp model in Vegas, you’re getting the room for free, but [the resort is] making money from gambling.” you can read my entire interview with Simonetto here.

Given that travel companies want to unbundle more, not less, and given the fact that they don’t care what we think, what are we to do?

Buy travel that’s bundledI’m not just talking about booking a ticket on Southwest Airlines or JetBlue Airways, two of the a la carte holdouts. Online travel agencies like Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia offer packages that wrap airline tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars into one convenient and inexpensive package. that can save you money, because agencies are buying the items in bulk and then marking them up, but still undercutting the normal price. What’s more, they can include amenities or activities that would otherwise be sold a la carte.

Complain when something is unbundled without disclosureYou don’t have to look too hard to find a hotel that charges a mandatory resort fee or a car rental company that insists you buy its overpriced insurance before you can leave with one of its vehicles. And finding one that doesn’t tell you before you show up is not too difficult, either. Any fees that are required must be quoted as part of the price before you make a booking decision. when confronted with a customer who has that information, a company will almost always cave in and remove the charges. they know these a la carte fees are wrong, after all.

Avoid the worst unbundlersI could name names — Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air and AirTran Airways come to mind — but why bother? the worst offenders are perfectly obvious to anyone from the moment they log on to the company’s Web site or call their reservation number. They’re the ones that charge “convenience” fees for using your credit card to pay for the ticket. or that make you pay another fee for a confirmed seat reservation. Come on! if that’s not nickel and diming, then what is? Still wondering which companies I’m talking about? Here’s a recent list that might be helpful.

Just say ‘no’What do you say when an airline demands an extra $15 for a “confirmed” seat reservation? what do you tell it when it asks you to shell out more money to check in luggage? you say “no.” you pack a bigger carry-on or you ship it. you accept the middle seat when you get to the airport. but you’ve done a commendable thing. You’ve denied the airline its so-called “ancillary” revenue opportunity, and if enough people say “no” then the airline won’t see a point in charging for these items a la carte. Don’t believe me? Talk to US Airways, which reversed its unpopular decision to charge $2 for soft drinks.

Go eliteIf you’re a frequent flier, renter or hotel guest, you’re better off concentrating your business on one company to qualify for an elite designation. Why? because companies let their elites off easy when it comes to fees, waiving everything from checked baggage charges to fees for making reservations. but don’t drink too much of the Kool-Aid, otherwise you’ll start doing foolish things like taking mileage runs and making unnecessary credit card purchases to rack up more miles — miles you’ll either never be able to redeem or that will expire before you can.

Is there a better way to quote a price than to offer a ridiculously low or “zero” fare and then pile on the extras? Sure. if travel companies quoted a reasonable price and allowed us to uncheck any of the options at the time of purchase, I can’t imagine anyone opposing that kind of a la carting. the technology exists to let us do it, but travel companies don’t want to because they believe it could put them at a competitive disadvantage and they believe there’s more money to be made from confusing us.

Until they’re proven otherwise, we’re on our own.

Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. you can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at .

5 easy ways to avoid a la carte anarchy