AAA Should Have Disclosed Hawaiian Deal

As a 38-year Auto Club member, and a regular customer of its travel agency, I am very disappointed in the actions of “my” club to attempt to deceive us about ownership of major tour packager Pleasant Holidays [“AAA Cleared in Hawaiian Tour Deal,” Aug. 8].

Don’t we, as members of a nonprofit mutual organization, have a right to expect that “our” club adhere to a higher standard than what shadier outfits in the industry find acceptable?

Even if it is not a violation of consumer law, I am sickened to learn that my trusted travel friend has lowered itself to self-dealing, and then tried to cover it up.

A simple upfront disclosure of AAA’s ownership interest in Pleasant Holidays is what I expected of “my” club.

The responsibility for this malfeasance lies squarely in the lap of the board of directors. In the recent election, four “outside” members with fresh ideas tried to gain seats on the board and were soundly defeated. Apparently, most of the voting membership was content with the policy direction of the current board. That may well change as a result of this scandalous “Hawaii-gate” affair.

Norman W. Nielsen

Highland Park

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Last year I enlisted the Auto Club’s help in putting together a family trip to Maui. I guess I was naive when I assumed that the agent’s suggestion to use a Pleasant Hawaiian package was in our best interest.

It turned out that most aspects of the arrangements were the most unsatisfactory of any of the many Hawaiian vacations we have had.

At the time, I assumed the package made it easier for the agent to make the arrangements, rather than separately booking the flight, condo, car, etc. Now we come to find out AAA had a further monetary motive.

I have no doubt AAA’s ownership of Pleasant Holidays is legal. However, I take exception to Auto Club’s spokeswoman Carol Thorp’s implication that, just because the deal is legal, they are not being sneaky. I have enjoyed using the Auto Club’s services because they seemed like an upfront operation. I trusted them to keep my best interests in mind.

I don’t mind that AAA owns Pleasant Holidays. I don’t mind that they like to make a profit, that’s what businesses do. But what I do object to is the idea that I paid a first-rate price for a second-rate vacation. I wasn’t even offered a first-rate alternative. All this because the Auto Club made the decision not to disclose its relationship with Pleasant Holidays.

Lorraine Blanton

Woodland Hills