Students Plan New Charter Flights If College Rescinds HSA Monopoly

At least two student groups are prepared to offer "at cost" charter flights to Europe if University officials discontinue their policy of granting a monopoly on the flights to the Harvard Student Agencies.

Both groups have contacted Dean Watson's office and are now waiting for a ruling before beginning to solicit students.

Recent criticism of the HSA charter flight prices and the HSA policy of not revealing its profits have prompted Dean Watson to ask the agency for a complete report on its charter flight activities. L. Gard Wiggins, Administrative Vice-President, will ultimately decide whether to break the monopoly.

London for $250

One of the groups claims that it can provide round-trip flights to London for $250 per student. If it is given permission, it may also provide flights to Washington, Chicago, and San Francisco.

A second group claimed yesterday that it can provide a round-trip jet flight between Boston and Paris for $260.

If at least 120 people sign up for the flight, the cost of tickets will be lowered by $40.

This group, like the other, claims that the organizers of the flight will make no profit. It has scheduled its Paris flight to leave June 18, the day after Harvard graduation.

An HSA flight to London leaves June 13, four days before graduation, and costs $288. The only HSA flight which leaves after commencement and enables students to stay in Europe for a full three months, arrives in Athens and departs in September from Brussels. Its cost is $331.

The HSA provides only four or nine week flights between Boston and Paris after commencement. Lawrence Robertson, manager of the HSA charter flights, said that if enough passengers so wanted, the Athens flight might be rescheduled to arrive instead in Brussels.

Robertson refused to speculate on whether the HSA would lose any business if the proposed charter flights are allowed.

Stephen Walters, organizer of the Paris flight, said yesterday that his group has already made preparations to reserve a jet for the trip. The airline will be one which has regularly-scheduled jet flights to Europe.