Coming and Going

Smart Web Visits

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED

Surprise! You're Renewed.

When planning a trip to China last spring, Margie Gustafson of Bethesda thought it was worth $299 to sign up for United Airlines' Economy Plus Access program, which for one year gives you and a companion on the same reservation first dibs on the best coach seats. The seats are in the first rows of coach and provide up to five extra inches of legroom.

Gustafson signed up for the program by phone and doesn't recall any mention of automatic renewal. The e-mail confirming her first-year membership definitely didn't mention automatic renewal. She was surprised, then, to find this year's membership fee -- now $349 -- on a recent credit card bill. Her appeals to rescind the charge went unheeded . . . until she called CoGo.

United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said the airline e-mails customers near the end of their membership year to remind them of the drop option before the automatic renewal. "We sent an e-mail to Ms. Gustafson in March, and after you brought this to our attention, we researched our e-mail records and learned that the e-mail address we have listed for her is no longer valid," Urbanski said. She urged customers to " keep membership information current" so they can be advised of a variety of things, including flight changes.

Gustafson says she has never changed her e-mail address but is happy with the refund. CoGo subsequently received two more complaints about surprise automatic renewals and is reviewing them with United.

Read terms and conditions when signing up for any service. The United Web page that outlines Economy Plus Access does have a place to click and read about specifics such as automatic renewal. Under federal law, warnings about automatic renewals must be "clear and conspicuous," which is open to interpretation.

WALLET WATCH

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True . . .

Robert Kleinworth of Alexandria recently received a letter from "Global Holidays" saying that "to help you celebrate your birthday next month, we would like to give you two complimentary round trip airline tickets" anywhere in the United States. And, if he called a toll-free number within 48 hours, he'd get two free hotel nights and a $500 shopping spree.

Kleinworth, who got burned on a "vacation club" several years ago, asked CoGo to check it out. CoGo's initial reaction: That's the kind of gift you'd be lucky to get from a rich uncle in a will after he's dead.

At the toll-free number, a representative invited CoGo to a 90-minute presentation. About what? "How to travel at a wholesale rate," she answered. "This is a wholesale travel center." Is it a vacation club? "It's a wholesale travel club, like Travelocity," she said, although Travelocity isn't a travel club and doesn't sell wholesale and instead is an online travel agency.

CoGo found no complaints against Global Holidays at the consumer sites TheSqueakyWheel.com or Complaints.com. The Better Business Bureau Web site ( http://www.bbb.com) says: "At the present time we do not have enough information to issue a report."

The offer of free stuff says the travel provider is Global Holidays, at 1950 Old Gallows Rd. in Tysons Corner. Directory assistance lists the number at that address as belonging to Global Vacations. The person at the toll-free number answers, " Unite d Vacation Network." Personally, CoGo likes consistency in a company name.

At the Global Vacations number, manager Leslie Lenel explained that Global Holidays is a distributor for Global Connections Inc., which is licensed to sell Global Discovery Vacations. They can afford to provide their "amazing" offers, Lenel said, because their products cost $3,000 to $10,000 and "set you up for a lifetime of vacations." In other words, a vacation club.

The advice of Mitch Katz from the Federal Trade Commission: Carefully check out vacation club offers, and if someone pressures you to "buy now," consider passing.

SITE INSPECTION

Smart Web Visits

Three new Web sites to check out:

· For travelers looking for bargain airfares in Europe: Vayama, which is focused exclusively on international travel, has partnered with a booking engine that puts information about nearly all the European discount carriers in one place. The site also has a handful of discount carriers in non-European countries. Go to http://www.vayama.com, click "in the air" and choose "lowcost carriers."

· For single travelers: Singles Travel International, which for 25 years has offered age-specific group tours for singles, has a cool new feature that allows singles to network Facebook-style. Say you're considering a trip and want to know who else is going, or even who might be a compatible roommate. Go to http://www.singlestravelintl.com, click on "community" and read profiles of others who have decided to include that detail. You can also post a profile with only the information you wish to include. STI spokeswoman Beth Peterson says the information is not shared with any other company or entity. The networking function, she said, can also be used after trips by people who want to keep in touch. Coming soon: A private chat function, member travel blogs and online photo albums.

· For students going abroad and their parents: StudentsAbroad.com has been launched by the State Department in recognition of the ever-growing number of young people traveling overseas, including more than 200,000 college students studying abroad each year. Those traveling alone for the first time, a Bureau of Consular Affairs press release states, are "at particular risk when overseas." Among other things, the site offers advice on whom to contact in case of emergency, tips for safe travel, country-specific information, lists of U.S. embassies and information on what documentation is needed for travel to various countries -- basically a one-stop reference guide. Go to http://www.studentsabroad.com.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Costa Doing Business

American Airlines has sale fares to Central and South America. Fare from BWI, Reagan National or Washington Dulles to San Jose, Costa Rica, for example, is $363, including taxes. Book by May 19; three-day advance purchase required. Sale is good for travel departing by June 15 and completed by July 15. Other airlines are matching in select markets. Buy at http://www.aa.com, or for $15 more call 800-433-7300.

Reporting: Cindy Loose

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to cogo@washpost.com.