Go with flow on spring break

We're entering the season of the spring migration.

Over the next eight weeks, more than 2 million college and high-school students are expected to head off to distant places. Some will take part in organized programs of social, educational or charitable import; others will head to places with lots of sun and/or snow for a week of fun and frolic.

Most of these young travelers will have memorable experiences that will live up to their expectations, more or less. Inevitably, some will return disappointed by trip packages that proved less than promised. Others will get themselves entangled in unanticipated legal difficulties. More than a few will suffer significant injury or mishap. According to the State Department, more than 2,500 American citizens are arrested abroad, about half for drug charges.

A tiny number, such as Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teenager who vanished in Aruba in 2005, never return.

Most spring breakers drive to their destination, but many board airplanes. Many of the trip packages for students are on charters, which operate under different rules from commercial carriers.

There are many reputable packagers of student trips, but more than a few are run by low-rent operators who patch together arrangements which sometimes get changed along the way. Some are first-class rip-offs.

The Federal Trade Commission and American Society of Travel Agents have guidelines to help students get what they think they paid for.

First, check out the trip operator. In addition to background on the business, get names of satisfied customers.

Insist on having a printed brochure and travel agreement as a record. Don't rely on online evidence. Read all conditions and fine print carefully. Keep a copy in a safe place at home for future reference. To verify any local operator's legitimacy, you might check with a local travel agent or ASTA's consumer affairs department: (1-703-739-8739 or www.travelsense.org).

If the trip involves a charter flight, check with the U.S. Department of Transportation public charter office (1-202-366-1037), which must approve all charter packages.

Also know that passengers can cancel a trip package without penalty if the operator makes a major change to the departure dates or cities, switches to a hotel not mentioned in the brochure, or increases a price by more than 10 percent. Furthermore, all funds collected for a charter must be held in an escrow account until the trip departs. Paying by credit card provides another measure of protection and possible recourse.

Don't be surprised by delays, which are so common on charter flights that experienced travelers expect them.

Wherever you go, expect plenty of company on flights. The most popular spring break destinations this year are expected to be Cancun, Mexico; Daytona Beach, Fla.; South Padre Island, Texas; and Colorado ski resorts. The Cricket World Cup, which will be taking place at various Caribbean venues between March 11 and April 28, will make accommodations difficult to find.

Know that Department of Transportation rules permit uncompensated flight delays of up to 48 hours for mechanical difficulties. The operator is not obligated to provide alternate transportation or interim accommodations for delays caused by bad weather or other factors. Some operators will, but as thousands of student travelers will discover, many more won't.

Chances are that everything will go all right, but if you encounter problems, the office of Overseas Citizens Services (1-202-647-5225) may be able to help. You can also get lots of information and easily register your trip with the government at www.travel.state.gov.

As a final resort, complaints about trip operators can be filed with the FTC's Consumer Response Center (1-877-382-4357 or www.ftc.gov/ftc). While the FTC can't resolve individual problems, it can act against a company if it sees a pattern of repeated legal violations.