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BBBTips™ Offer Handy Suggestions for Air Travel
First topic in enhanced BBB consumer education program
Arlington, Va., July 29, 2004 --The Better Business Bureau today announced the first topic – Airline Travel - in its enhanced education program, BBBTips™. BBBTipsÔ is designed to provide unbiased and factual information to assist consumers in making pre-purchase decisions. The upgraded program will allow companies that support the effort financially to link from their own Web sites to educational material they support on the Better Business Bureaus’ Web site.
“BBBs respond to thousands of inquiries each year from consumers seeking to make travel plans. We know first-hand that the more research you put into planning your trip, the less likely that you will experience problems or disappointments. That’s why we are pleased to be able to provide handy, quick and comprehensive BBBTips™ on Airline Travel – just in time for summer vacations,” said Ken Hunter, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB).
The new BBBTips™ on Airline Travel can be viewed online at http://www.bbb.org/alerts/Travel.asp. Included are suggestions on how to get the lowest airfare, ticket consolidators, travel agents, online travel services, overbooking and bumping, lost or damaged luggage, e-tickets and lost tickets.
Hunter expressed the BBB system’s appreciation to Southwest Airlines, which provided sponsorship support to the BBB Consumer Education Foundation for the BBBTips™ program.
Southwest Airlines’ co-founder and Executive Chairman Herb Kelleher, said, “We believe in the importance of educating consumers about their various options, rights and responsibilities as airline passengers. An informed airline passenger is a happy passenger. We certainly hope travelers will choose to fly Southwest Airlines, but whatever carrier they select, we want them to enjoy a safe, comfortable trip by air that suits their budget and meets their expectations.”
In addition to tips specific to the airline industry, the BBBTips™ on Airline Travel also features a more general traveler’s checklist to assist consumers in evaluating travel advertisements and offers.
The BBBTips™ program supplements other helpful information provided by Better Business Bureaus to promote an ethical marketplace. Consumers can access BBB business reliability reports on airlines, travel companies, ticket agencies, vacation certificates and other travel-related businesses by contacting their local Better Business Bureau or using the online Bureau Information System at http://search.bbb.org/search.html.
A BBB report will tell you how long a company has been in business, whether it’s a member of the BBB, if there have been complaints filed against the business with the BBB and, if so, how the business responded.
Even the best of planning and the most thorough research, however, will not totally eliminate complaints or disputes against any type of business, including airline travel.
“When the unexpected arises, airline passengers can refer to the BBBTips™ on Airline Travel for advice on how to get hold of Better Business Bureaus and other organizations to assist them,” Hunter said.
Plans are underway to expand BBBTips™ to meet the needs of consumers for helpful, unbiased information on other industries. By policy, the CBBB, the Better Business Bureau Consumer Education Foundation, and local BBBs do not endorse, recommend, or approve any individual product, service, or company.
“The BBB system provides consumer information services solely to assist consumers in exercising their own judgment,” the CBBB president said.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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