If you did not stay with relatives or friends on previous vacations, then you most likely you rented a hotel room and a car to get around town in response to a bargain vacation package. You thought you knew beforehand, when you reserved your room, what you would be paying. Suddenly, at checkout time, you’re hit with a price that’s different from what you were quoted. Now you’re angry and questioning the customer service representative’s ability to do his or her job.
According to an article written by Alfred Borcover for the Chicago Tribune (Philadelphia Inquierer1/22/06), these extra fees that we don’t find out about until later are fees and surcharges set by local, county and state governments. It appears easier to impose these fees on travelers who have limited transportation and housing options available.
So, is what you are getting really a bargain? The only way to find out is to ask about the taxes and fees as you are making your car and hotel reservations. An add-on that you may never knew about prior to renting a car is the tire/battery fee, which is an environmental recycling fee. Some burdensome hotel taxes that cause an increase in daily rates include lodging or occupancy taxes, sales and use taxes, and bed or room taxes. Each of these rates can be charged by different levels of government.
It probably did not come as a surprise to you that there are various taxes added on to a final bill. However, before you’re duped into purchasing that “bargain” vacation package, investigate and see whether or not if it really is a bargain. You may end up paying for more than what you bargained for.
Borcover cites the following percentages:
Cities with the highest hotel taxes:
· Cincinattii: 17.5%
· Houston: 17.0
· Columbus, OH: 16.75
· San Antonio, TX: 16.75
· Chattanooga, TN 16.25
· Chicago: 15.4
· Washington: 14.5
· Philadelphia: 14
· San Francisco: 14
· Los Angeles: 13.94
· New York: 13.62
· Phoenix: 12.07
· Orlando: 11.5
Airports with high add-on fees for car rentals:
· Houston: 71%
· Dallas/Ft. Worth 61.1
· Austin Bergstrom: 55.8
· Cleveland Hopkins: 51.7
· Houston Hobby: 51.7
· Kansas City: 48.1
· Phoenix: 48
· San Antonio: 44.1
· El Paso: 42.9