Through the fine print to bottom line

I am just an avid traveler, not in the industry. Everyone seems to complain about the airlines, but not other industries’ ads [“A Deal to Take Your Breath Away, Fine Print to Put It Back,” Travel Insider, March 20].

I think the airlines do a great job, certainly up until a few years ago, when they all tried to be Southwest.

You don’t see Macy’s advertising a sofa for $1,083; it prices it at $999 and adds the tax later.

Harlan Levinson
Los Angeles
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IT’S not the first time that I’ve read nor, I’m sure, is it the first time Jane Engle has written about airline print ads.

I don’t travel weekly but often enough to ignore the ads that infrequent travelers might get excited about.

It was especially humorous to read the United person’s opinion that conforming to the law makes ads not deceptive. I’ve been waiting for some airline to finally break loose and advertise thusly:

“If you wanted to travel from Burbank to Denver on Feb. 17 and return on the 21st, here’s what you’d have to put on your credit card — $000.

“Check YOUR flight details and see what we can offer … “

Complete prices are always available, and quickly, on Internet sites now, so it seems to me that it would behoove airlines to begin cutting to the chase.

When somebody does do that — and makes good when people comparison shop 10 minutes later online — apples will become oranges and maybe United ads won’t make honeymooners think they’re going from LAX to Honolulu and back for $289.

Keep up the good work.

Mike Peck
Burbank