LAX parking tickets: Gotcha

Question: My car was recently ticketed in an LAX parking lot for not having a front-mounted license plate, a technical violation that had been ignored for six years by police patrolling the streets. It seems that LAX police are engaged in a game of "gotcha," driven by the desire to raise revenue.

Thomas Foley
San Clemente

Answer: A parking citation is hardly the welcome-home greeting a traveler wants. But a front-mounted license plate is required by law. And the law applies even in public parking lots.

LAX police say it's a matter of security. The airport has stepped up patrol of all parking lots since Sept. 11, 2001. And officers are instructed to issue citations for even minor infractions, such as missing front plates.

A larger police presence has made the airport — and its parking lots — safer, officials contend. LAX plans to add 80 police officers in the next 12 months, spokesman Paul Haney says. He acknowledges, however, that increased surveillance may mean more citations.

The airport does not keep statistics on the number of tickets issued to cars parked in its lots. But the Los Angeles Department of Transportation on average writes 164,000 such citations citywide each year. At $25 a ticket, that's $4.1 million. The revenue from airport-issued tickets also goes to the city, Haney says.

"We're not trying to make money," says Jimmy Price, chief of parking enforcement and traffic control for the department. "The $25 fine is reduced to $10 if a driver puts the front plate on."

Nonetheless, car owners might not expect such aggressive enforcement of motor vehicle regulations in an airport parking lot. Perhaps the airport should post signs at all lots warning travelers that facilities are patrolled for vehicle code violations.

Until then, drivers should make sure they comply with motor vehicle laws before parking in any city-owned lot. Those who think they've been unfairly ticketed can contest a citation by calling the Parking Violation Bureau, Department of Transportation at (213) 623-6533.

Ferret out all hotel fees beforehand

Question: Hidden charges on hotel bills are confusing. When reviewing our bill from Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in San Luis Obispo, I asked what a "resort fee" was. I was told it's for resort amenities. We were there for a wedding and had no time for extracurricular activities. We also checked out one day early and were charged a $25 cancellation fee.

Chuck and Suzanne Dell
Chino Hills

Answer: "Surprise" fees are unfair. Authorities and consumers in California, Florida and New York have filed class action suits against large hotel chains and a third-party website for allegedly billing undisclosed service charges.

But the Sycamore clearly displayed the $10 daily "resort fee" and cancellation policy on its website. But the Dells' experience is a lesson learned: To avoid paying more than you expect, get the bottom line before booking.

Rather than raising prices, hotels are piling on surcharges. Expect to pay up to $80 a day for all sorts of mandatory and optional "extras," from housekeeping and gyms to luggage storage and self parking.

"We've seen it everywhere, from small boutiques to high-end chains," says Shelly Ransom, manager of hotel relations for the Automobile Assn. of America, who notes that properties are charging what the market will bear. "Fees could total half the cost of your room."

This year, hotels will collect an estimated $1.4 billion in fees (mostly profit) on $124.4 billion in revenue, according to lodging industry consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers. That's up 16% from 2004 and 180% since 2002. "That number will continue to increase," says Bjorn Hanson, who heads the firm's hospitality practice.

Resort fees, which can range from $10 to $30 a day, generate the most guest complaints. Some hotels have added them without notice; others don't adequately explain their policies. The Sycamore, which includes surcharge fine print on its reservations Web page, does not mention that a newly instituted 72-hour cancellation policy includes early checkout.

"We could do a better job of that," says Ray Hill, sales manager for the property, who noted that the Dells probably were charged $25 instead of a full night's lodging "as a courtesy" because the resort was able to rebook the room.

How can you avoid checkout sticker shock?

•  Don't be seduced by the quoted rate. Call the property and ask for total charges. Hotel websites are getting better at including fee fine print, but it's not always easy to find. But some third-party sites mask these fees to protect their private negotiated rates (Travel Q&A, March 6, 2005, http://www.latimes.com/fees ).

•  Don't assume reservations agents are right. Because fees vary by hotel and change constantly, staffs don't always have the correct information. Get the name and ID number of the reservations agent who quoted surcharges. Having this documentation will help get surprise charges removed.

•  Ask questions. In the old days, hotels almost always reversed disputed charges at checkout. Nowadays, however, "front desks are being trained in dealing with guests' complaints about their bills, and fewer charges are being removed," Hanson warns. If you can't get satisfaction with checkout clerks, ask for a manager.

•  Check your credit card bill. Some fees, such as those for luggage storage or minibar use, are added after you leave. Send documentation that the charges were wrong or not disclosed at the time of reservation.

•  Complain. If you feel you've been unfairly charged or overcharged, take it up with the hotel manager. And file a grievance with the attorney general in the state where the hotel is located. A new website, http://www.travelproblem.com , makes that easy. It provides links to 52 state attorney general offices, as well as sample complaint letters, and a $39 mediation service.

When airlines will compensate fliers

Question: If an airline can't get you to a destination within two hours of your scheduled arrival time due to overbooking or mechanical problems, isn't the traveler entitled to compensation?

Dave Formella
Long Beach

Answer: That's half right: Carriers will crack open the piggybank only for overbooking, not for mechanical problems.

If you're involuntarily bumped from a flight, for instance, an airline must pay $200 for not rebooking you within two hours of the scheduled departures; $400 for longer delays. It's federal law.

However, if your flight is delayed or canceled due to a mechanical problem, airlines are not required to dole out greenbacks. But they may have to take care of you in other ways. It depends on their individual contracts of carriage, the terms you agree to when buying a ticket.

For example, airlines don't owe you anything for delays caused by bad weather, strikes, fuel shortages or other forces beyond their control. But, as a courtesy, they might arrange for food, hotels, ticket refunds or fare rule waivers.

If, however, the delay is the airline's fault — mechanical problems or schedule changes, for instance — you have rights under Rule 240. Few fliers know this. And airlines won't readily volunteer the information.

The major airlines promise to book you on the next available flight at no extra charge, even if it means putting you on another carrier's plane in a higher class of service. If they say they can't, invoke Rule 240.

They must also get you a hotel room, ground transportation and/or meals for overnight delays, or delays exceeding four hours for diverted flights. If they can't get you to your destination, they're obligated to refund the unused portion of your ticket.

Some airlines, such as Northwest and Alaska, also promise free prepaid phone cards, snack coupons, mileage credit, discounts for future travel and other amenities. Low-fare airlines, not surprisingly, offer the minimum. They'll rebook you only on their own planes and make refunds if you're stranded.

Print out and carry with you a copy of the airlines' Rule 240 (available on the carriers' websites). It's your best bet for navigating the unfriendly skies.

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Laurie Berger welcomes your questions but cannot respond to all of them. Send e-mail to travel@latimes.com or write to Travel Q&A, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please include your name, city and phone number.