Travel Bargains and Travel Scams

An Interview with Jens Jurgen, Publisher of Travel Tips & News

By Clay Hubbs

I caught up with my friend Jens Jurgen just as he was about to leave on a family trip to Europe—the second for his 8-year-old grandson—and asked him about the two subjects he seems to know more about than anyone: finding travel bargains and avoiding travel scams. Jurgen is the founder of Travel Companion Exchange, a service in its 21st year of linking travelers looking to avoid loneliness as well as the single supplement when they travel. For $298 a year, TCE’s 600 subscribers receive the profiles of prospective travel partners and a travel information newsletter, Travel Tips and News.

I have learned more about travel from Jens’ 20-page newsletter, all of which he writes himself, than I have from any other travel periodical. The January/February 2002 issue contains nearly two dozen detailed articles on how to save money and get more pleasure from your next trip abroad: Why Canada in 2002? (because it’s nearby, the scenery is great, the exchange rate for U.S. dollars is very favorable, and Canadians welcome Americans), Europe Rail Pass Bargains (a complete list and cost analysis of over 240 railpasses in Europe), Travel in Europe (in the past three years Europe has become up to 30 percent cheaper for Americans because of the euro/dollar ratio), and Where to Travel Cheaply in the U.S. in 2002 (focusing on hotel bargains, especially in New York). Also included are pages of travel safety tips and where to find more travel deals. Did you know, for example, that Malaysia Airlines (800-552-9264, www.malaysiaairlines.com) offers a $747 roundtrip fare between Los Angeles and Kuala Lumpur plus any or all of 24 Southeast Asia destinations ranging from Bali to Tokyo? I didn’t.

Our first question to Jens was: How did you come to know so much about travel?

Jurgen: I came to the U.S. in 1958 to take a job as an engineer with Long Island Lighting. In those days travel to Europe was expensive. So I put together a charter group to cover my travel expenses. I did everything from finding the best-priced charter to booking hotels and tour buses.

This sideline soon led to a business. I left my job and researched and published a book on charter flight clubs, with my own tips on air travel. It sold 60,000 copies. I then expanded the book to include all airfare bargains. These How to Fly for Less books sold another 60,000 copies.

Then I started my own successful travel club: Advocates of International Trade and Comity. Soon I was taking at least 15 charters to Europe each year. I also became a travel agent for Icelandic (now Icelandair). In 1973, I sold my travel club to a travel agency and took a sabbatical.

I spent nearly three years traveling on my own, mostly in Europe. After all those years of leading groups , the freedom was nice. But traveling solo also had its drawbacks. The more beautiful the places, the more you want to share. That’s really why I started Travel Companion Exchange.

Transitions Abroad: Let’s talk about your specialty, saving money. Does it pay to book your own travel, and if so is there one best travel web site? You write a lot about Priceline.com. But you mostly seem to mention the incredible deals you find there on hotels and car rentals, not on plane tickets.

Jurgen: Yes, Priceline.com is great. I get up to 80 percent discounts on hotel rooms and car rentals as low as $15 a day, but their airline tickets have drawbacks—at least for me. I’m also very pro-travel agent, as you see in my newsletter. But since airlines stopped paying commissions, knowledgeable travel agents are harder to find. Those who can help you may have to charge you a service fee. So you may have to make your own arrangements in order to get what you want. I use all the major web sites including Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz (although none of these include my favorite airline, Southwest).

TA: In our November/December issue Transitions Abroad interviewed Edward Hasbrouck about around-the-world travel. There are no doubt some good RWT deals, but most tickets I’ve seen advertised cost $2,000 or more and offer limited choices in stopovers. I wonder if a cheaper way to see the world might not be to look for airpasses on individual airlines like the one mentioned above?

Jurgen: Actually, some consolidators do put together around-the-world flights in the $1,200 range, but the itinerary may be very limited. And of course there’s the question of reliability. I prefer Star Alliance Airlines (www.staralliance.com) because of the number of corresponding airlines. Be sure to ask about business class. A business class ticket around the world can cost less than one roundtrip business class ticket to London.

TA: Apart from airpasses, what are some of your other favorite ways of saving money as an independent traveler?

Jurgen: The first rule is to plan long stays in less-expensive places and short stays in expensive cities.

Watch for airfare sales in the papers, and look at the terms. I like to earn miles—I have sometimes earned miles on a trip to Europe worth more than the ticket cost. But to get double or triple miles you must preregister for such promotions. If you pay with an American Express Delta Sky Miles card, you can get additional bonus miles on top of other promotions. Take full advantage of bonus miles (see flyertalk.com for mileage tips), and don’t use your miles for inexpensive fares. Don’t go for the first sale you see. When one airline offers a sale, you know the others will follow.

Fly “open jaw”—into one city and out of another—whenever it suits your itinerary. If you use Orbitz, for example, go to “Multi-City” to search for such fares. (Apart from quoting the lowest fares on major airlines, Orbitz also offers some “web only” fares.)

If you’re flying to Europe, be aware of the new low-fare airlines within Europe and take advantage of them. For example, use Ryanair.com it may be cheaper to go Italy via London Stansted than to go direct. My daughter recently used a cheap ticket to London, and then flew Buzzaway out of Stansted to her destination, Berlin.

If two or more are traveling, consider a car rental. Be sure to use a credit card and be sure you know what it covers. Many credit card companies no longer cover damages to the vehicle, and rental companies can really stick it to you for even a tiny pre-existing scratch, so look the car over carefully before you drive off.

Hotel rooms go at widely different rates. In Europe, summer business travel is dead. Ask for summer and holiday rates—preferably with a phone call before you show up at the desk. Even in Paris in the summer I’ve stayed in top hotels at a discount off the posted price. Hotel chains—like Ibis, Etap, and Formule l—are great bargains. For families, they can cost less than camping. Hotelguide.com is a good reference.

TA: In addition to your bimonthly newsletter, you occasionally publish reports or guides on a single topic. Your most popular title must be Foiling Pickpockets & Bag Snatchers. I see it mentioned everywhere. Why did you come to write this report and are there more special reports in the works?

Jurgen: Ten years ago I was waiting for a train at the Frankfurt station with my carryon bag at my feet. A man asked me a question to distract me, while an accomplice grabbed my bag and tried to run with it. It contained everything I had brought with me—passport, railpass, address book—everything. I chased the thief and recovered the bag, but I was shaken. When I talked with the station police, they told me that such incidents were common and described others. This is when I decided to research all types of travel safety and theft problems to help others avoid what almost happened to me. As far as other reports: Well, I’ve just revised Senior Airfare Bargains for the 64th time. I may not do it again; it’s too difficult to keep up. I plan to update my report on Pros & Cons of Using Priceline.com. A friend just got a room at New York City’s “Grand Hyatt Hotel” for $75 using my bidding tips, while the Hyatt’s own web site quoted the regular rate of $320 a night for the same dates.

By the way, while it doesn’t qualify as a “scam,” one way that travelers lose large amounts of money is when a company goes out of business. It happens every year. Never pay with cash or a check. Always use a credit card.