TRAVEL agents advertising cheap fares they cannot provide are preying on bargain-seeking holidaymakers, authorities warn.
The Travel Industry Council warned Easter travellers to be on guard, as it urged airlines to help weed out agents tricking consumers with false promises.
Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung said prices for Easter holiday packages had fallen by five per cent since last year, but some specials were too good to be true.
'We're worried consumers are being cheated,' he said.
'The agent is using it as an attraction for the customer, then they introduce another fare.' Customers would go to an agent asking for the advertised special, to be told it had sold out but a similar, more expensive, trip was available.
In other cases, a deposit would be made on a cheap trip, but travellers would be told soon before departure the tour had been cancelled. They would be given the option of a refund or offered a more expensive trip.
The Sunday Morning Post this week went to several travel agents advertising cheap deals, including $1,450 for a return flight to Bali, $1,350 for a three-day package to Taipei and $2,990 for three nights in Cebu.
