Read the fine print on your tour packages

With spring school vacation coming up, many students and families are planning the ritual spring trip. But if you’ve chosen a special tour package, be sure you take the following steps to avoid disappointment.

Before you arrive at the airport with your boogie board, passport or skis in hand, review the tour package carefully and investigate the operator. Many travelers, (especially inexperienced students) don’t get the trip they expect; others lose out completely because they didn’t carefully read the fine print, evaluate the promotion, and make sure they are not dealing with a fly-by-night company peddling a first-class scam.

Flights for many school-break trips are by public charters, which have different rules than commercial flights. Before you sign a contract, do some homework and look closely at the package. The Federal Trade Commission and the American Society of Travel Agents offer the following tips and information to help you avoid a school break bust.

. Check out the operator.

. Avoid high-pressure sales pitches.

. Ask the company to send information about the business and the names of satisfied customers.

. Ask friends who have used the operator about their experience.

. Check with local travel agents to see if they know whether the operator is legitimate, or call ASTA’s Consumer Affairs Department at (703) 739-8739.

If the trip involves a charter flight, call the Department of Transportation Public Charter Licensing Division at (202) 366-2396 to make sure the charter operator has properly filed to operate charter flights from your departure city to your destination. Charter packages cannot be sold until the charter filing is approved by the DOT.

Travelers should always read the fine print and get a copy of the operator/participant contract. This will tell you the conditions under which the operator can change flight schedules (usually charters can be canceled for any reason by the operator up until 10 days before the trip), hotel accommodations (operators may put you up in an alternate hotel listed in the operator contract that is not as nice as the hotel advertised in the package materials), and the rules and penalties for cancellation.

Ask about cancellation insurance. Rules state that an operator cannot ask for or accept your payment until you have signed and returned the contract.

Always understand your rights. According to DOT rules, you have a right to cancel a charter package without penalty if the operator makes a “major change.” Major changes include a change of departure or return date or city, a hotel substitution to a property not named in the charter operator/participant contract, or a package price increase of more than 10 percent.

It is wise to pay by credit card. It gives you more protection than cash or a check. If you pay by check for a charter package, make sure it is payable to an escrow account (as required by federal law for charters) and call the bank handling the escrow account to verify its validity. Be wary of charter operators who are reluctant to provide escrow bank information (they may be selling another firm’s space) or who tell you they’ll send a courier to pick up your money.

Don’t be surprised if your flight is delayed. They’re common on charter flights, and especially after 9/11 when security procedures increased. DOT rules allow for a charter flight to be delayed up to 48 hours if mechanical difficulties occur and the operator is not obligated to provide alternative transportation or compensate you for your expenses if such a delay occurs.

Finally, check the contract to see if the operator will cover any costs (lodging, car rental, etc.) associated with flight delays not related to mechanical difficulties. Oh, and don’t forget your toothbrush.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual membership is $25, business rates start at $125 (0-10 employees). For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.