Complain about a product or service

Plus Ultra Tours

31-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria, Queens, NY

Maritza of Staten Island NY writes (6/26/02):
I paid Plus Ultra Tours for three roundtrip direct flight airline tickets to Santiago, Spain leaving on July 13 returning on August 2. Plus Ultra Tours infomed us of a cancelled July 13 flight on Tuesday, June 11. P.U. Tours issued our family a check which bounced on Friday, June 21 and has now closed its doors. The owners have dissappeared.

In speaking with family and friends, I've learned P.U. Tours has cancelled all 12 direct flights to and from JFK, NY and Santiago, Spain. Each plane carries approximately 200 passengers per flight and, therefore, P.U. Tours has netted over $2 million from its customers.

My immediate family is out $2796. $2706 for the tickets, $60 difference for three new airplane tickets and $30 for a bounced check fee with the new travel agent since P.U. Tours check bounced, so did mine.

Nancy of Maspeth NY (6/27/02):
I purchased 5 tickets (3 adults, 1 child, 1 infant)from Plus Ultra Tours for a direct non-stop flight from JFK to Santiago de Compostela, Spain in the amount of $3,360.00 (my check dated 03/29/02). On June 11, 2002 I received a phone call from the travel agency indicating that the flights were cancelled. I went that same evening to pick up my check which I did receive in the amount of $2,510.00 = the difference was for one of the adult tickets I had purchased whose flight was not cancelled (there were two different departing dates). I was assured that the other flight was going as scheduled.

I deposited my check into my account on 6/13/02 only to find that on 6/19/02 their check had bounced and I was responsible for not only the $2,510.00, but a $15.00 bank fee for a bounced check. On 6/18/02 I had called to pick up the remaining ticket (the difference of the money) only to be told that that flight had also been cancelled, I told the agency that I wanted that refund as well and was told that the owner was out and he was the only person authorized to issue a check.

I told them then I would go the following day. The next day, on June 19th I called the agency to hear a recording that the office was closed and has been since then. My loses are as follows: $3,375.00 (the $2,510.00 check and the remaining ticket priced at $850.00 plus the $15.00 bank fee for the bounce check).

In addition, I had to rebuy all tickets through another agency in order to be able to get a direct flight to Santiago de Compostela as I'm travelling with two young children.

This illustrates why travel arrangements should always be paid with a credit card.

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