February 1, 2010

U.S. fans with tickets can’t afford prohibitive travel to World Cup

UPDATE: Hotels and airlines being investigated for price-fixing

ORIGINAL: You would think travel accommodations to South Africa would be reasonable, if not affordable, compared to most World Cups. But they’re not. In fact, it seems airlines and hotels are gouging soccer spectators more than usual this summer, leaving many U.S. fans who purchased tickets out in the cold.

“Flights from New York to Johannesburg would normally cost about $1,000, but they will set you back at least $2,500 if traveling during the World Cup,” reports ESPN. “One 3-star Johannesburg hotel normally charges as little as $49 a night for a standard room, but will be bumping its price to up to $220 a night for the days leading up to the World Cup.”

That being the case, fans who budgeted $5,000 a trip are now learning it will actually cost them upwards of $12,000 per person, so they’re no longer going. “I’ve given up hope for this World Cup,” one fan said. “Hopefully I can get as lucky with tickets to another one. I thought that was going to be the hard part. Now I have more than enough [tickets], but I just can’t afford to go.”

1 comment

Comments (1)

  1. 1. Andrew Jennings says...

    I’m really not trying to promote myself – honest – please note my website is “org” not “com” but if you want to know more about why South Africa is costing so much and who is making the money – have a look at recent stories about FIFA, ticket rackets, insider trading.

    I’m an investigative reporter, not a sports jock. You may have read my book about FIFA corruption. First chapter is free on the website.

    All then best,

    Andrew


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