They say that many times "cheap is expensive".
This was verified in the worst way by some
200 passengers who dreamed of visiting Turkey and Egypt and ended up stranded at the Ezeiza International Airport
in the middle of the long Easter weekend.
What happened?
On Good Friday, when the travelers showed up at the Ezeiza counters to begin their long-awaited trip, the
Turkish Airlines company told them that they did not have them registered
and that the tickets they had been sold did not exist.
Although some of the passengers were notified by email a day before that their trip was not going to take place, many others did not receive that email or any notification and found out with their bags in Ezeiza.
The flavors and markets of Türkiye.
As detailed by the Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies of Buenos Aires (AVIABUE),
the accused travel agency is Turismo Felgueres
gave a travel date to the "scammers" but did not send them any vouchers or tickets.
The company had offered them
flights to Turkey and Egypt, with 16 hotel nights and tours included, for $2,200
.
"These rates are unrealistic for the market," they say in the tourism sector.
Although
the victims are going to criminally denounce the company
for having defrauded them,
it had sold packages until 2024.
Therefore, it is not ruled out that there may be more similar cases in the coming months.
How the agency operated
With very
good management of social networks and promotions
through paid notes in the media, Felgueres caught the attention of travelers, tempted by the possibility of buying packages for values well below what the market dictates.
Tourists on camels while visiting the Egyptian Pyramids.
Photo Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa
"In some cases,
they offered 2 for 1 to those who paid in cash
, and they also had
plans that were up to 50% cheaper
than the prices of the competition. In addition,
they offered trips for 2 years or more
. In other words, people bought in 2021 to travel in 2023 or 2024 when
international air tickets can be issued with a maximum of 11 months in the future,
no more. That is why it was impossible to know the prices of an air ticket for a couple of years from now", they highlight from AVIABUE .
And they specify: "What they did was the so-called 'Ponzi scheme'. With the money that came in today from passengers who were going to travel in a few years, they paid for the services of those who hired the trips two years ago. While passengers continued to enter There were no problems with the wheel, but the complications began when the flow of new travelers decreased".
A similar situation had happened in March with a group from Formosa that reached Ezeiza and found out that their trip did not exist.
They explain in AVIABUE that "the CEO of the company is Gerardo Berra, a 27-year-old Mexican with excellent marketing management. In addition to advertising in digital media, Turismo Felgueres put up posters on the Pan-American Highway."
Meanwhile, the Felgueres tourism agency stated: "...as a consequence of an eventuality within the operation of the company, we were forced to delay the departures of certain traveling groups in order to improve the trip proposal and avoid risks ".
They also indicated that on Monday, April 10, "all affected customers will be contacted to coordinate the change and be treated accordingly for greater peace of mind and understanding."
In addition, the company informed the affected people that in 120 days it will return the money for the trip, if they give up making the complaint.
suspicions about the agency
Two months ago, the Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies of Buenos Aires (
AVIABUE) rejected the travel agency Turismo Felgueres
to join as a member of the entity.
"When they were presented, the Board of Directors decided not to treat their admission due to
a lack of transparency in their offers
," said Mario Ijelman, president of AVIABUE, who assured that "their offers were impossible to fulfill."
The denounced company had the license granted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports but that was not enough.
Recommendations to avoid scams
Mario Ijelman assured that "
you have to be suspicious when the price of a ticket, hotel or tour is well below the average
because nobody gives anything away". He also says that it is important to "compare offers" with other travel agencies.
To verify that the company has a valid license, you must look at the website of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Nation: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/turismoydeportes/turista/agencias-de-viajes-autorizadas
But if someone has doubts about a company, they can
check if it is a member of the Association
that brings together the agencies in the area where the company is located.
In addition, it was recommended
not to buy a flight without a certain date and to ask for the issued ticket
.
And verify that it exists on the airline's website with the reservation code and that the ticket number is loaded.
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