Take proper steps to protect travel investment

Since Sept. 11 the tourism industry has been turned upside down. In spite of the safety and economic issues, many Amer-icans are still traveling and finding wonderful bargains.

Tour companies, cruise lines and resort hotels are trying to stimulate business, generate cash flow, and recover from the devastation brought on by the terrorist activities.

Many companies that were functioning well before Sept. 11 now are looking at an uncertain future. Two cruise lines already have declared bankruptcy; there very possibly could be more.

The U.S. travel industry has never experienced anything quite like this red flags regarding a company's stability may not be as apparent as in the past.

As a consumer, there are some things you can do to protect your travel investment.

1. Pay for your trip with a credit card. If services are not delivered, you have a right to dispute the charges through your credit card company.

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, cardholders have 60 days from the time they received their billing statement on which the first charge appears, to refuse payment for services not rendered. In-structions for doing so appear on the back of all credit card statements.

Even if a customer already has paid the charge, or if the 60-day window noted above has passed, it is still advisable to request a credit for the charge.

2. When selecting a tour company, make sure they are members of the United States Tour Operator Association. USTOA has a $1 million consumer protection plan that protects consumers for the loss of deposits and payments for tour or vacation packages in the event of:

1. A USTOA active member bankruptcy

2. A USTOA active member insolvency, or

3. Failure of a USTOA active member company to refund consumer deposits or payments within 120 days following the cancellation, or total nonperformance of tour or vacation packages by a USTOA tour operator.

3. Purchase trip cancellation insurance from an independent company. Be sure supplier's default is included in the coverage.

You should receive a written brochure on the coverage you are purchasing, with contact phone numbers for getting an-swers to your more specific questions.

Some insurance companies, while offering default protection, reserve the right to substitute a trip of similar value in lieu of cash reimbursement.

(Linda Strait is president of House of Travel Inc., a full-service travel agency in Springfield.)