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Where to Complain When Travel Goes Awry
By Judy Babcock Wylie
 Suppose you take a package tour promising first-class accommodations and the hotels you stay in have no hot water, are unsanitary or simply unsafe. What if your travel agent books you on a flight that does not exist on the day you expected to fly?
Let's say you do arrive at your destination to find your baggage has been opened and several pieces of clothing are missing.
Your first recourse is to complain to the manager or supervisor on duty, but if you don't get satisfaction there, to whom do you complain?
In the case of the package tour, if your tour company is a member of the U.S. Tour Operators Association, you can complain to it, www.ustoa.com. The organization keeps track of complaints, reviews them and sends them on to tour company executives. You can send a letter of complaint to USTOA at 275 Madison Ave., Suite 2014, New York, NY 10016. This site also has many tips for travelers, such as finding your vacation personality, and shopping tips.
A complaint against a travel agent can be sent to the American Society of Travel Agents, www.astanet.com, if the agent is a member of that group. Complaints can be mailed to ASTA Consumer Affairs Department, 1101 King St., Suite 200, Alexandria, Va., 22314. If you are choosing a travel agent, you also can contact ASTA to find out if a particular agency has had two or more unresolved complaints in the last six months. Its Web site also has tips for travelers, including how to pick a travel agent.
Regarding the baggage problem, in addition to contacting the airline responsible, you could contact the U.S. Department of Transportation, www.dot.gov/airconsumer,which accepts travelers' complaints about airlines through its Aviation Consumer Protection Division. On its Web site you also can find monthly figures on late flights, mishandled luggage, overbooking and other problems by airline. See the Travel Tips and Publications section for dozens of travel tips, from flying with pets to packing your bags.
In print
"Hudson's Historic Houses and Gardens," by Norman Hudson & Co., is subtitled "The Comprehensive Annual Guide to Heritage Properties in Great Britain and Ireland." It is sold in the United States through Globe Pequot Press at $21.95. This well-illustrated, full- color guide is the best source for Britain's historic houses, gardens, castles and heritage sites. The British Tourist Authority calls this book the bible for the stately house visitor to Britain. It is completely updated every year, with new prices, times, special additions or services and other data.
Whether you are looking for a cottage or an ornate mansion in which to live out your British fantasies. this is the place to start.
"Vegetarian New York City" by Suzanne Gerber is published by Globe Pequot Press at $12.95. It is a lively, well-researched guide by a former editor of Vegetarian Times magazine. It includes the best restaurants in all price ranges for vegetarians, including those that also serve meat, plus lodgings catering to vegetarians and markets with large organic sections.
The ratings and at-a-glance charts make it easy to choose from places spread among all five boroughs.
Source: Daily Herald
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