dwight@timeinc.UUCP (Dwight Ernest) (03/31/85)
I have learned through friends of a rather inexpensive way to get in and out of West Germany. It's an outfit called TRAVAC (sorry, I don't know what that semming achronym means). They are offering, at least through mid-June, flights between JFK Airport in NYC and Frankfurt Airport in West Germany for the price of $220 per person each way, plus $3.50 tax. Apparently they make use of unsold seats on Kuwait Airlines, who supposedly fly 747s and DC-10s on this route. They have openings only on Sundays, with flights departing JFK at 9:15 Eastern Time and arriving Frankfurt at 22:30 local time. I am not yet aware of their schedules for the return trip, except that they are also on Sundays. They can be reached at +1 (212) 295-8101 (a taped message in English), at +1 (212) 295-8102 (a taped message auf Deutsch), and at +1 (212) 563-3303 (a human being). They accept personal checks, MasterCard, VISA, and AmEx. You must pay for your tickets at least 35 days in advance, with $150 per ticket due at that time, and the remainder due (I think) 10 days in advance. Cancellations after the 10th day in advance of your departure are payable only if the seat you have reserved is subsequently sold. These refunds are for all except a $50 service charge up until that time. (I'm not sure I got that right, so if it's important to you, you should check.) They've got my reservation!
shaprkg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Bob Shapiro) (04/01/85)
In article <130@timeinc.UUCP> dwight@timeb.UUCP (Dwight Ernest) writes: > >I have learned through friends of a rather inexpensive way to >get in and out of West Germany. It's an outfit called TRAVAC >(sorry, I don't know what that semming achronym means). > >They are offering, at least through mid-June, flights between >JFK Airport in NYC and Frankfurt Airport in West Germany for >the price of $220 per person each way, plus $3.50 tax. Apparently >they make use of unsold seats on Kuwait Airlines, who supposedly >fly 747s and DC-10s on this route. They have openings only on >Sundays, with flights departing JFK at 9:15 Eastern Time and >arriving Frankfurt at 22:30 local time. I am not yet aware of >their schedules for the return trip, except that they are also >on Sundays. I suspect the flight leaves around 915P and gets in at 1030A as that is when Kuwait Airlines flies New York to Frankfurt. Return would be 530P to 630P > >They can be reached at +1 (212) 295-8101 (a taped message in >English), at +1 (212) 295-8102 (a taped message auf Deutsch), and >at +1 (212) 563-3303 (a human being). They accept personal checks, >MasterCard, VISA, and AmEx. You must pay for your tickets >at least 35 days in advance, with $150 per ticket due at that >time, and the remainder due (I think) 10 days in advance. >Cancellations after the 10th day in advance of your departure >are payable only if the seat you have reserved is subsequently >sold. These refunds are for all except a $50 service charge >up until that time. (I'm not sure I got that right, so if >it's important to you, you should check.) > The prices that these guys offer are available from many operators in the New York area using not only Kuwait Airlines but also Pakistani Air and World. They are not a heck of a lot less than charter air (most of which uses Condor, a subsidiary of Lufthansa). They are not unsold seats but bulk air. The operator buys them from the airline and resells them to the public. Typically they charge a little extra for credit cards. The obvious advantage is the low price you get while the disadvantage is that you are dealing with an outfit which usuually is not bonded or required to protect your money. (Charter companies are required to not only carry bonds but to hold your money in an independent bank escrow account until it is used for the flight). The travel insurance companies will not write insurance to protect against the default of a bulk operator. So if you want to get your tickets from a bulk operator I would strongly suggest that you drive down to the operator's office, pay in full immediately, and walk out of there with the tickets in your hand. Once you have the tickets, the airlines must honor them even if the operator goes under. (If you want to protect yourself against the airline defaulting the insurance will cover you). What we see here is the trend for the future. Entrepreneurs will buy up large blocks of seats from the airlines. It is a good deal for the airlines for they get their money up front, have no possibility of cancellation, and the paper work is minimized. For the entrepreneur there is a chance to play middle man in a business venture where big bucks are to be made. For the public there are cheaper seats than would be made available through normal channels. What's the catch? Mostly, it lies in 2 areas. First of all the entrepreneur places heavy penalties on cancellation thus greatly reducing his cost of doing refunds and risk of failing to sell a seat. As a purchaser you must be ready to sign up in blood. Secondly, the financial requirements of these entrepreneurs are minimal at best. The airlines, having been paid up front, have little responsibility for what happens later. Some of these operators are legitimate business people but because of the lack of standards it is possible for almost anyone to get into the business. Every so often there is a financial disaster and the public gets taken. So here we see the classic case of "caveat premptor" (let the buyer beware). As a travel agent I sell bulk fares to my customers after warning them of the dangers involved. (Its interesting as in my case there are 2 middlemen not just 1) Normally the people who buy the tickets are regular customers who are familiar with our financial status and code of ethics. I carefully observe the rule I mentioned above (pay in full and pick up the tickets all in one transaction) and so far everybody seems to be happy. I also strongly push insurance in case the bulk airline goes under. (Typically it costs about $5 a hundred so $25 would neatly cover the case mentioned above). The insurance has the added advantage in that it protects you against cancellation penalties if you have to cancel the trip because of death, accident, or serious illness of yourself or a member of your family. Bob Shapiro