Avanti Travel

We are sorry to hear that the clients feel that our previouscommunications are incorrect, however we have been in business for 30 years andhave built and continue to build the business on our customer service. As we explained in our previous correspondence we forwardedall documentation to the clients for review, it is clearly stated on thedocuments from Oceania that it is the client’s responsibility to have thecorrect documentation. We further attached the Oceania documentation to you inour previous correspondence.Ultimately it was Oceania’s decision not to allow the onepassenger to board.

We have read Avanti Travel Agency's response to our complaint and it contains claims of communications between us that, in our opinion, are false or incorrect. The bottom line in our complaint is that we were never told that one of our group of four was required to possess a valid Canadian visa in order to travel on an Oceania Cruise to Alaska. We were very aware that we were required to possess and present the proper documentation to Oceania Cruise lines in order to board the ship. We feel that by requesting Avanti Travel Agency to make the travel arrangements for our group, it was there responsibility as a licensed agency with the State of California and under the consumer travel laws, that they had the responsibility to inform everyone in our group of the proper documentation need to successfully complete our travel plans. We were not only unable to take our trip to Alaska, we were refused reimbursement in the amount of over $16,000.00. If Revdex.com agrees with Avanti Travel Agency that it was our responsibility to obtain necessary information to take a ship cruise to Alaska, then We don't understand the purpose of a Travel Agency.

I am rejecting this response because: Please be advised that we have received your correspondence regarding our complaint against Avanti Travel agency and have read their response. Unfortunately we are having computer problems which is making it difficult to properly respond to Avanti Travel Agency's explanation of the events. I would like to respond to their claims one by one, but our printer is out at this time. I hope to have this problem fixed soon. In the mean time, I hope you will except our apology regarding our computer problem and give us additional time to respond because Avanti Travel has made a "he said, she said" excuse for the events that happened and I would like to give our rebuttal in a complete manner with attachments to show proof of our claims. I will be unable to do this until our computer is fixed. Please advise, Thank You, [redacted] and [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: First and foremost, [redacted] President of Avanti Travel had nothing to do with our interactions with the two travel agents we spoke with. So, I'm not sure how she can direct her response as the person we dealt with. Secondly, as most people would in this type of situation, she lied throughout her entire response. My Husband had gone into Avanti Travel to inquire about a Cruise. Which he spoke with [redacted], one of their travel agents. [redacted] quoted him on a 7 day Princess Cruise. I, then looked online to see if there were other Cruises. Because, we were first time cruisers, and wanted to know what type of ships/deals/places we could go. Who wouldn't do that? I had some questions of my own, since never being on a cruise, wanted to know the ins and outs. My Husband and I, were able to go to Avanti Travel together on a Saturday. Now, keep in mind, we both work full time and have a family so a Saturday suited our schedule. And, Avanti Travel happens to be open on a Saturday. So we went, and [redacted] wasn't working, however [redacted] said that she could help us. I screenshot a picture of the Carnival Cruise that I had found and showed it to [redacted], who then said Princess would be a better Cruise. The screenshot as you can see is CLEARLY cheaper than the Princess. So, why is [redacted] lying about the "reservation" being much higher? We paid in full at the time of booking, because the cruise was only 3 weeks away. We, at no point on our Saturday visit, discuss a budget with [redacted] or tell her we were limited on funds. Which brings me to the next lie: we didn't have a limited window of time. The only thing that we asked, was that the cruise be at least 3 weeks out, to allow enough time for us to take the time off of work, and get our children's school/extracurricular activities scheduled out for their grandparents. Next, the $200 on board credit, Carnival had similar deals to that of Princess that I found myself online. Then there's their trip that they said they went on in November with 200 people with a local radio station. My Husband has a client on his route that just so happens to had gone on that same cruise with [redacted] and assuming [redacted]. And she was quoted as saying, that all that was on board was seniors! We had spoke with the head concierge of the ship, who said yes that the Crown Princess was "mainstreamed" for seniors, or seniors that take their grandchildren, and why our travel agent didn't tell us that? So if [redacted] is correct then how at 35/32 years old is knitting, bingo or free bunion analysis age appropriate to us? Which was just a few activities that was offered on the ship.  My phone call with [redacted], not [redacted], did not go very well. [redacted] was implying that I was a liar and that we couldn't afford a 7 day cruise, and that we sounded like we wouldn't have been satisfied on any cruise that we were "unpleasable people". Tell me why does it even matter if we couldn't afford a 7 day cruise?? We spent well over $2,000 on the entire trip, which was more than what we would've spent had we gone on the 7 day cruise! And being a Travel Agent, why is it so hard to understand that we did want to somewhat stay on a budget!?  We went in looking for the best deal, who doesn't do that? Who doesn't ask questions, especially their first time cruising? Also, [redacted] was mad that we came in a Saturday, and repeatedly let me know that we pretty much inconvenienced her because we went in on a Saturday! [redacted] also told me on the phone that the Princess average age was 45, not Carnival. As for the swear words, I used 2, because [redacted] kept implying that I was lying, cheap and unpleasable and I felt that to be very offensive. Again, how would [redacted] know if I had used several swear words repeatedly, when I never spoke or met her? The phone conversation ended with [redacted] hanging up on me because I had told her that I would not be referring anyone to her or her business, at which point she threatened to sue me for slander. I then told her that she couldn't do that, and I had every right to write my personal experience with her in a review. I do not feel it necessary to be threatened or put down by anyone. Even if we didn't have a lot of extra money to spend, who gives her the right to treat people like that. I'd like to know who these several agents are that we talked to. I'd like to know the dates of the several office visits we made. Because my husband had gone in one time before we went together to book the trip, that's twice and only spoke to [redacted] then [redacted]. We feel that [redacted] as a travel agent, booked us on the wrong cruise. We also had to spend $206.75 on a hotel room plus fuel there and back for this trip that wasn't mentioned before. I have the screenshot of the carnival cruise that shows a much cheaper rate, but we trusted [redacted] and went with her word that we would have a fabulous time on Crown Princess. So, was it even about the money?

August 31, 2015   Revdex.com 3075 Beacon Blvd. West Sacramento CA 95691 ATTN:  [redacted]   REF:  ID [redacted]   Dear Mr. [redacted]: I am in receipt of your letter dated August 30, 2015 with regard to the experiences of Mrs. [redacted] and some of her family members. Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] selected an Oceania Cruise for their anniversary trip and placed a deposit toward their voyage on January 20th, 2015.  Shortly after that Mrs. [redacted]’s sisters – Ms. [redacted] and Ms. [redacted] were added in an additional cabin. We had no direct communication with either of Mrs. [redacted]’s sisters – everything was done via Mr. and Mrs. [redacted].  We did receive passport information showing that Ms. [redacted] held a passport from El Salvador along with an address for the ladies in Bakersfield.  This information was then uploaded to the Oceania website.  We mailed the client copy of the invoices from Oceania to Mrs. [redacted] and she advised in a telephone conversation that she had in fact received them.  These invoices state the requirements and regulations for passengers to sail with Oceania.  We are enclosing copies for your review.  Oceania states it is the passengers responsibility to obtain all necessary documents for travel and acceptance to board an Oceania ship.  We are further enclosing copies of the shore excursions (and emails related) that detail options for sightseeing while in Victoria British Columbia – clearly indicating the voyage was not entirely within the United States. The [redacted]s seemed very pleased with all the arrangements – including the fact that our agent Donna Dykes had continued to research behind the scenes looking for cost savings and values.  To that end she advised them of a new promotion that granted a $200.00 onboard credit and pre-paid gratuities for the voyage which she had applied to their reservations.  Avanti Travel had also placed an additional $100.00 onboard credit as our gift to the clients When the [redacted]s  came in to receive their final documents from Oceania – it was discussed that transfers in Seattle from the airport to the ship were not included due to the fact that Oceania charged $78.00 per person – and that a taxi would be far less (in the $60.00 range for four) and likely quicker.  Taxis are easily located outside the baggage claim areas at the transportation islands. We received a call from the clients at the dock indicating that Oceania was denying boarding due to the documentation requirements for Canada.  Our office contacted Oceania, the Canadian Embassy to see if they could grant an emergency visa (we were advised of a 45 day wait), and we even called the Seattle Port Authority.  We made every possible attempt to assist.  We advised Oceania that the passengers would not disembark in Victoria – asked if they could end the cruise while still in Alaska – anything that would have allowed the passengers to be boarded. Though Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] would have been able to sail – they decided against that option and determined they would all just return to California.  While they were enroute to the airport we contacted Alaska Airlines to change the tickets at the request of Mr. [redacted].  There were no flights available for that day – and they were booked for the following day.  It was determined that it was far less expensive to buy new tickets than to pay Alaska Air a change penalty plus the additional airfare they asked for.  This was advised to Mr. [redacted] and he approved the charge by Alaska Airlines.  We also secured hotel accommodations for them and the credit card was given as a “guarantee” to the property.  The hotel in turn would have billed the credit card at check out.       Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] had also purchased Travel Guard trip insurance (the sisters did not purchase any insurance).  Travel Guard does not cover any fees assessed for cancellation due to improper documentation.  Had there been an illness or unforeseen major emergency a claim could have been filed.   Post cruise efforts were made on behalf of the clients to try and obtain a future cruise certificate from Oceania.  Avanti Travel contacted our Business Development Manager who in turn took up our cause with the Vice President of Field Sales.  It was discussed at that level and then they felt it worthy of escalation to senior management with Oceania –  however our request was ultimately denied on June 30th.    [redacted] President Avanti Travel inc.

Please read all attachments including reply As you will see from the guest statement page 4 addresses Visa and Passport information, and the shore excursions clearly state Vancouver BC is a port of call.If any further information is required please do not hesitate to contact me[redacted]Avanti...

Travel inc.[redacted]

Review: My husband and I decided to entrust one of the owners of this agency for the honeymoon we always wanted. A cruise we thought would be great! Upon going there, and doing a little researching of our own, she told us to try the Crown Princess because 'we would have a fabulous time!' We had asked about the Carnival ship, and were quickly redirected to go on the Princess. Ok we thought, this gal should know what she's getting us into right? WRONG! Once getting on board and looking around we realized that we were apparently too 'young' to be on this ship, as 90% of the cruisers were seniors. There wasn't anything for us to do on this cruise. We were stuck on board with options such as, knitting, bingo, pinochle or getting a free bunion analysis! We are in our 30's so this type of atmosphere wasn't for us. We talked to the head concierge of the ship, in which she had said that yes, this ship mainly consisted of seniors and asked why our travel agent didn't tell us that. So, I called our travel agent who proceeded to tell me that I was wrong, that she had never heard such a thing. And then went on to say that my husband and I sounded like we wouldn't have been happy on another ship anyways. Also implying that we were cheap as we chose a 4 day cruise versus a 7 day! So this place has wasted what should've been a great experience and wasted our money! We spent well over $2,000 on the entire trip . Does that sound cheap? Or like we couldn't afford to vacation? We wanted to go on Carnival with the different activities that I've heard that ship offers, but she insisted we do Princess. So what kind of kick back did she get? She also threatened to sue me for slander because I will NOT refer anyone to her business and then proceeded to hang up on me.Desired Settlement: We feel, that as a travel agent she knew exactly what kind of cruise she was putting us on. Also, that she received a kick back for insisting we go on the princess line.

Business

Response:

Reply to the customer dispute from Ms. [redacted] Ms. [redacted] and her husband had been to Avanti Travel several times prior to actually securing reservations and placing payment for their honeymoon/cruise. They spent time with several agents looking at the options over various visits to our office – in fact they were advised of the only two sailings during their window of time – one being Princess – the other being Carnival. Carnival was ruled out as the cost at the time of reservation was higher than Princess. Avanti Travel was doing its best to provide a cruise that was both offered, available and fit within in the funds allocated for the trip. The clients received $200.00 as an onboard credit (money to be applied directly to your stateroom charges) in addition to travelling in a balcony cabin. Normally these are on the upper end of the price spectrum – but our agents found a great savings and offered it to the client. Ms. [redacted] also purchased the unlimited drink program at an additional cost of $225.40. The total cost of the cruise breaks down as follows: Cruise fare $638.00 for 2 Taxes 150.00 for 2 Drink pkg 225.40 for 1 Total $1013.40 for 2 Please keep in mind that the taxes are the same for everyone and the drink package was an option. The $200.00 onboard credit was an added savings that Avanti Travel found for their trip. The 4 night cruise - balcony cabin/meals/activities really cost $788.00, and with the $200.00 bonus – a wonderful value. Princess Cruises has a great reputation and is considered a “mainstream” cruise line that appeals to all ages. That being said no one is advised if a particular sailing has any one dynamic onboard whether they are seniors, families with young children or even specific ethnicities travelling as a group. Needless to say it is possible to hit a sailing that is full of children when you preferred adults etc. Having sailed aboard the ship with a group of 200 passengers in November – I found it to be filled with activities in all areas of the ship. This cruise also featured 2 days in port with a range of tours, shopping and more to fill ones time. I would be surprised if Princess Staff referred to this as a “senior” trip. On a side note the average age passenger with Carnival is 45. Here is a list of some of the activities aboard the ship – directly from the Princess Website: Dining and Snacks: Three main dining rooms, Sabatini's – Italian restaurant, Crown Grill, Alfredo's Pizzeria, International Café, Vines – Wine Bar, Leaves – Tea Lounge and Library, Ultimate Balcony Dining, Trident Grill – Burger & hot dog grill, Horizon Court – Buffet restaurant, Prego Pizzeria – Poolside pizza, Sundaes – Ice cream bar, 24-hour room services Showrooms/Lounges: Princess Theater, Vista Show Lounge, Explorer's Lounge, The One5 nightclub, Wheelhouse Bar, Crooners – Martini Bar, Snooker's Cigar Bar Guest Services: The Sanctuary, Movies Under the Stars poolside screen, Lotus Spa and Fitness Center, Piazza-style Atrium, Wedding Chapel, Grand Casino, Kid's and Teen's Centers, Internet Café, Art Gallery, Photo/Video Gallery, Duty-free Boutiques, Golf Putting Course, Sports Court, Guest Services Desk, Shore Excursions Desk, Medical Center Ms. [redacted] did call our office extremely upset at her cruise experience. She chose to use some very offensive language and was advised that if she continued to do so the conversation would end. She used a variety of swear words repeatedly. Avanti Travel is a very professional agency and as a 30 year travel industry veteran does not feel it is acceptable to be spoken to in such a manner. With regard to her statement of our agency receiving a “kick-back”. Travel agencies are paid a commission of the pre-tax value of most vacations.. We are not paid by the airlines at all. In the case of this Princess Cruise – the agency received $66.70. Avanti Travel values each and every client – regardless of their budget. We understand that we are here to help fulfill their dreams, ease their burdens in the event of emergency travel and we don’t take this responsibility lightly. To that end, we do all possible to find the best values, upgrades, and promotions etc. that are available. We strive to assist all our clients in every way regardless of their chosen destination. Sincerely, [redacted] President Avanti Travel Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: First and foremost, [redacted] President of Avanti Travel had nothing to do with our interactions with the two travel agents we spoke with. So, I'm not sure how she can direct her response as the person we dealt with. Secondly, as most people would in this type of situation, she lied throughout her entire response. My Husband had gone into Avanti Travel to inquire about a Cruise. Which he spoke with [redacted], one of their travel agents. [redacted] quoted him on a 7 day Princess Cruise. I, then looked online to see if there were other Cruises. Because, we were first time cruisers, and wanted to know what type of ships/deals/places we could go. Who wouldn't do that? I had some questions of my own, since never being on a cruise, wanted to know the ins and outs. My Husband and I, were able to go to Avanti Travel together on a Saturday. Now, keep in mind, we both work full time and have a family so a Saturday suited our schedule. And, Avanti Travel happens to be open on a Saturday. So we went, and [redacted] wasn't working, however [redacted] said that she could help us. I screenshot a picture of the Carnival Cruise that I had found and showed it to [redacted], who then said Princess would be a better Cruise. The screenshot as you can see is CLEARLY cheaper than the Princess. So, why is [redacted] lying about the "reservation" being much higher? We paid in full at the time of booking, because the cruise was only 3 weeks away. We, at no point on our Saturday visit, discuss a budget with [redacted] or tell her we were limited on funds. Which brings me to the next lie: we didn't have a limited window of time. The only thing that we asked, was that the cruise be at least 3 weeks out, to allow enough time for us to take the time off of work, and get our children's school/extracurricular activities scheduled out for their grandparents. Next, the $200 on board credit, Carnival had similar deals to that of Princess that I found myself online. Then there's their trip that they said they went on in November with 200 people with a local radio station. My Husband has a client on his route that just so happens to had gone on that same cruise with [redacted] and assuming [redacted]. And she was quoted as saying, that all that was on board was seniors! We had spoke with the head concierge of the ship, who said yes that the Crown Princess was "mainstreamed" for seniors, or seniors that take their grandchildren, and why our travel agent didn't tell us that? So if [redacted] is correct then how at 35/32 years old is knitting, bingo or free bunion analysis age appropriate to us? Which was just a few activities that was offered on the ship. My phone call with [redacted], not [redacted], did not go very well. [redacted] was implying that I was a liar and that we couldn't afford a 7 day cruise, and that we sounded like we wouldn't have been satisfied on any cruise that we were "unpleasable people". Tell me why does it even matter if we couldn't afford a 7 day cruise?? We spent well over $2,000 on the entire trip, which was more than what we would've spent had we gone on the 7 day cruise! And being a Travel Agent, why is it so hard to understand that we did want to somewhat stay on a budget!? We went in looking for the best deal, who doesn't do that? Who doesn't ask questions, especially their first time cruising? Also, [redacted] was mad that we came in a Saturday, and repeatedly let me know that we pretty much inconvenienced her because we went in on a Saturday! [redacted] also told me on the phone that the Princess average age was 45, not Carnival. As for the swear words, I used 2, because [redacted] kept implying that I was lying, cheap and unpleasable and I felt that to be very offensive. Again, how would [redacted] know if I had used several swear words repeatedly, when I never spoke or met her? The phone conversation ended with [redacted] hanging up on me because I had told her that I would not be referring anyone to her or her business, at which point she threatened to sue me for slander. I then told her that she couldn't do that, and I had every right to write my personal experience with her in a review. I do not feel it necessary to be threatened or put down by anyone. Even if we didn't have a lot of extra money to spend, who gives her the right to treat people like that. I'd like to know who these several agents are that we talked to. I'd like to know the dates of the several office visits we made. Because my husband had gone in one time before we went together to book the trip, that's twice and only spoke to [redacted] then [redacted]. We feel that [redacted] as a travel agent, booked us on the wrong cruise. We also had to spend $206.75 on a hotel room plus fuel there and back for this trip that wasn't mentioned before. I have the screenshot of the carnival cruise that shows a much cheaper rate, but we trusted [redacted] and went with her word that we would have a fabulous time on Crown Princess. So, was it even about the money?

Review: Dear Please accept this letter as a formal complaint again Avanti Travel in Redding, CA.In 2014, my husband and I decided to begin planning our dream vacation to Alaska to celebrate a special event: our 50th wedding anniversary. In addition, two of my sisters wished to join us if the trip was affordable. We decided to be thorough and have the experts insure all of the necessary details, so we contacted our local travel agency, Avanti Travel, and agent Donna [redacted] was there to assist us. We were anxiously looking forward to our June 15 through 25th, 2015 cruise reservation #[redacted]. We took our agents advice and purchased trip insurance ($730), and we even double checked with Ms. [redacted] to see if any further documentation besides passport and photo ID was necessary for all involved but in particular for one of my sisters, a resident of El Salvador. Our agent, Donna [redacted], informed me that my sister from El Salvador needed no additional documentation. We felt confident that we had planned well: we enlisted the service of a professional travel agency, chose a reputable cruise line, and bought the travel insurance recommended.Regrettably this dream vacation, which never happened, turned into a nightmare. What we perceived to be a bump in the road was the first of the unfortunate series of events- a direct result from the travel agent and agency. The first event, Agent [redacted] instructed us that upon arrival at Seattle/Tacoma airport to pick up our luggage and then find the Oceania Cruise Representative that will be holding a sign stating Oceania Cruises. After connecting with the Oceania Cruise rep, we found out that our names were not on the transportation list to the Port. The rep made a courtesy call to Agent [redacted] and returned quickly. We were informed that Agent [redacted] forgot to purchase the transportation from the airport to port and she advised the Rep to tell us to take a taxi cab to the Port. With a bit of frustration,we maneuvered all of our luggage (not an easy task for persons our age) two blocks to obtain a taxi at our own expense! However, we arrived at the port and allowed our eager anticipation to resume. The nightmare: when we finally were allowed to begin the boarding process, we were told that my sister from El Salvador needed a Canadian Visa, which we had not been informed of by our travel agent. A call to our travel agent was made by my husband and she informed us that she could do nothing to remedy this situation and suggested that the rest of us go on the trip and leave my sister in Seattle. This was a completely unacceptable suggestion, as my sister speaks extremely limited English and is not familiar enough with this locale to handle hotel, airline reservations, etc. We were devastated.Next, we took a taxi back to Alaska Airlines to reschedule our June 25th reservation to the present. We could not get a flight back until the next day, so I told the Airline representative I would reconnect with her after I found a hotel for all of us for the night. In the meantime, our travel agent, Donna [redacted], called us and told us she had booked us at the Hilton Airport hotel and she had rebooked us on a 9:20 a.m. flight back to Sacramento the next day. When we got home, we found out that she had charged my credit card $485 for the hotel, and $1,284 for our return flights!! Totaling $1,769.This whole situation is a travesty. We spent $13,296 for a cruise we never took, $2,082 for airline tickets partially used, $730 for insurance that did not protect us, and $485 on a hotel: a total of $16,593.00 for a one night disappointment.Desired Settlement: We don't want to work with Avanti Travel. We'd like a refund and prefer to work with another travel agency.

Business

Response:

Please read all attachments including reply As you will see from the guest statement page 4 addresses Visa and Passport information, and the shore excursions clearly state Vancouver BC is a port of call.If any further information is required please do not hesitate to contact me[redacted]Avanti Travel inc.[redacted]

Business

Response:

August 31, 2015 Revdex.com 3075 Beacon Blvd. West Sacramento CA 95691 ATTN: [redacted] REF: ID [redacted] Dear Mr. [redacted]: I am in receipt of your letter dated August 30, 2015 with regard to the experiences of Mrs. [redacted] and some of her family members. Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] selected an Oceania Cruise for their anniversary trip and placed a deposit toward their voyage on January 20th, 2015. Shortly after that Mrs. [redacted]’s sisters – Ms. [redacted] and Ms. [redacted] were added in an additional cabin. We had no direct communication with either of Mrs. [redacted]’s sisters – everything was done via Mr. and Mrs. [redacted]. We did receive passport information showing that Ms. [redacted] held a passport from El Salvador along with an address for the ladies in Bakersfield. This information was then uploaded to the Oceania website. We mailed the client copy of the invoices from Oceania to Mrs. [redacted] and she advised in a telephone conversation that she had in fact received them. These invoices state the requirements and regulations for passengers to sail with Oceania. We are enclosing copies for your review. Oceania states it is the passengers responsibility to obtain all necessary documents for travel and acceptance to board an Oceania ship. We are further enclosing copies of the shore excursions (and emails related) that detail options for sightseeing while in Victoria British Columbia – clearly indicating the voyage was not entirely within the United States. The [redacted]s seemed very pleased with all the arrangements – including the fact that our agent Donna Dykes had continued to research behind the scenes looking for cost savings and values. To that end she advised them of a new promotion that granted a $200.00 onboard credit and pre-paid gratuities for the voyage which she had applied to their reservations. Avanti Travel had also placed an additional $100.00 onboard credit as our gift to the clients When the [redacted]s came in to receive their final documents from Oceania – it was discussed that transfers in Seattle from the airport to the ship were not included due to the fact that Oceania charged $78.00 per person – and that a taxi would be far less (in the $60.00 range for four) and likely quicker. Taxis are easily located outside the baggage claim areas at the transportation islands. We received a call from the clients at the dock indicating that Oceania was denying boarding due to the documentation requirements for Canada. Our office contacted Oceania, the Canadian Embassy to see if they could grant an emergency visa (we were advised of a 45 day wait), and we even called the Seattle Port Authority. We made every possible attempt to assist. We advised Oceania that the passengers would not disembark in Victoria – asked if they could end the cruise while still in Alaska – anything that would have allowed the passengers to be boarded. Though Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] would have been able to sail – they decided against that option and determined they would all just return to California. While they were enroute to the airport we contacted Alaska Airlines to change the tickets at the request of Mr. [redacted]. There were no flights available for that day – and they were booked for the following day. It was determined that it was far less expensive to buy new tickets than to pay Alaska Air a change penalty plus the additional airfare they asked for. This was advised to Mr. [redacted] and he approved the charge by Alaska Airlines. We also secured hotel accommodations for them and the credit card was given as a “guarantee” to the property. The hotel in turn would have billed the credit card at check out. Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] had also purchased Travel Guard trip insurance (the sisters did not purchase any insurance). Travel Guard does not cover any fees assessed for cancellation due to improper documentation. Had there been an illness or unforeseen major emergency a claim could have been filed. Post cruise efforts were made on behalf of the clients to try and obtain a future cruise certificate from Oceania. Avanti Travel contacted our Business Development Manager who in turn took up our cause with the Vice President of Field Sales. It was discussed at that level and then they felt it worthy of escalation to senior management with Oceania – however our request was ultimately denied on June 30th. [redacted] President Avanti Travel inc.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: Please be advised that we have received your correspondence regarding our complaint against Avanti Travel agency and have read their response. Unfortunately we are having computer problems which is making it difficult to properly respond to Avanti Travel Agency's explanation of the events. I would like to respond to their claims one by one, but our printer is out at this time. I hope to have this problem fixed soon. In the mean time, I hope you will except our apology regarding our computer problem and give us additional time to respond because Avanti Travel has made a "he said, she said" excuse for the events that happened and I would like to give our rebuttal in a complete manner with attachments to show proof of our claims. I will be unable to do this until our computer is fixed. Please advise, Thank You, [redacted] and [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

We have read Avanti Travel Agency's response to our complaint and it contains claims of communications between us that, in our opinion, are false or incorrect. The bottom line in our complaint is that we were never told that one of our group of four was required to possess a valid Canadian visa in order to travel on an Oceania Cruise to Alaska. We were very aware that we were required to possess and present the proper documentation to Oceania Cruise lines in order to board the ship. We feel that by requesting Avanti Travel Agency to make the travel arrangements for our group, it was there responsibility as a licensed agency with the State of California and under the consumer travel laws, that they had the responsibility to inform everyone in our group of the proper documentation need to successfully complete our travel plans. We were not only unable to take our trip to Alaska, we were refused reimbursement in the amount of over $16,000.00. If Revdex.com agrees with Avanti Travel Agency that it was our responsibility to obtain necessary information to take a ship cruise to Alaska, then We don't understand the purpose of a Travel Agency.

Business

Response:

We are sorry to hear that the clients feel that our previouscommunications are incorrect, however we have been in business for 30 years andhave built and continue to build the business on our customer service. As we explained in our previous correspondence we forwardedall documentation to the clients for review, it is clearly stated on thedocuments from Oceania that it is the client’s responsibility to have thecorrect documentation. We further attached the Oceania documentation to you inour previous correspondence.Ultimately it was Oceania’s decision not to allow the onepassenger to board.