"It's an ongoing investigation involving multiple states," is all a Jersey City detective would tell CoGo. According to sources familiar with the investigation, Travel Express Services placed a small ad in major newspapers across the country, including The Washington Post. When a customer agreed to buy a ticket, Travel Express would call a legitimate airline. By using the name of a legitimate ticket wholesaler who knew nothing of the scam, Travel Express was able to get a seven-day hold on seats -- just long enough for a customer's check to clear. Then the reservation would expire.
The company's phone lines are now disconnected, its operators missing. The moral:
• Always pay by credit card. If the company demands a check, shop elsewhere.
• Check the company's rating with the Better Business Bureau. The bureau's Web site, www.bbbonline.com, lists Travel Express as being unsatisfactory.
• And remember that old consumer dictum: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
TRAVEL TICKER
Orbitz made a low-fare promise last week: If you find a flight that costs at least $5 less than what you paid at www.orbitz.com, excluding service fees, the company will give you a $50 coupon for a future purchase . . . Get discounts in New York's Chinatown by showing an NYC MetroCard in a promotion good through Dec. 31. Details: www.explorechinatown.com . . . Virginia's new campaign to woo travelers with pets includes a new list of 350 pet-friendly lodgings. Leashed pets are allowed in state parks, much of Shenandoah National Park and some shopping centers. Details: 800-932-5827, www.virginia.org . . . Passengers at U.S. airports have left $244,024 in pocket change at security checkpoints since Jan. 1, to say nothing of things like coats, car seats and casino chips, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Agency.
BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
Independence Days
Fly Independence Air for as little as $34 each way. Details: "What's the Deal?," Page P3.
Reporting: Cindy Loose.
Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to:
cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.
