FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 24, 1999
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
DOT 195-99
Consumers Cautioned on Air Tours To College Bowl Games
The U.S. Department of Transportation today reminded air travelers going to college football bowl games that an operator marketing an air package that includes game tickets must have the tickets in hand or have a written contract for the tickets before advertising the tour.
If a game ticket is not specifically mentioned in newspaper advertisements or other solicitation material or listed as a tour feature, the ticket is probably not included, the department cautioned.
In December 1994, the department extended existing rules covering Super Bowl tours to all air tours organized for the purpose of attending any sporting, social, religious, educational, cultural, political or other event of a special nature and limited duration, and for which admission to the event is advertised as part of the tour.
The new rule was adopted in the wake of the 1994 Rose Bowl when many University of Wisconsin fans learned that their air tour packages either did not include promised tickets to the game or, upon arrival in Pasadena, were told they would have to pay hundreds of additional dollars to receive the tickets.
According to the regulations, if a tour operator receives a booking for which no ticket is available or no firm contract for a ticket exists, the payment must be returned to the consumer within three days. In addition, if the price of the tour increases by more than 10 percent, the consumer may cancel and receive a full refund. The price of the tour package may not be raised within 10 days of departure, and if a consumer is promised a ticket but does not receive it, the operator must refund the entire price of the tour.
The department's Aviation Consumer Protection Division says that if an advertisement does not state whether or not a game ticket is included, consumers should ask about it. If a travel agent or other tour representative states that a game ticket is included, the consumer should require at the time of purchase that the game ticket be presented or a written confirmation for the ticket be provided.
The Aviation Consumer Protection Division also says that before purchasing a bowl package, consumers should:
Many tours to college bowl games will span the Jan. 1 weekend. Some carriers have canceled certain Dec. 31-Jan.1 flights due to a lack of traffic on the millennium weekend. Prospective purchasers of tours taking place during that period should carefully review their tour contract and promotional materials to determine their rights in the event one of the flights in their tour is canceled or rescheduled for any reason. Consumers should also reconfirm the schedule for their flights and their reservations on those flights shortly before the outbound and return legs of the tour.
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