Gate 1 Travel

Thank you for your request for information regarding the above-referenced
claim.
 
[redacted] and her companion had participated in a river cruise which was
unable to sail for much of the itinerary due to high water on the river.  It
does happen...

during the cruising season that high or low water can affect the
ability to sail and/or navigate under bridges and through locks.  The condition
affects all river vessels, not only those of Gate 1.  In those cases, and as
noted in our Terms & Conditions, the itinerary may be operated by motor
coach and when necessary, accommodations will be provided by hotels. 
 
We understand [redacted] disappointment.  When the ship is stuck, either because of low water condition or high water, the only was to accomplish the tour is by bus.
As long as the main itinerary features and itinerary are provided, the tour
is not canceled nor is there monetary compensation for any necessary
changes.   
 
Never-the-less, we did approach the cruise ship’s management for
consideration.  And although as previously stated the conditions were beyond
their control and unavoidable, they have offered a goodwill gesture of $200.00
refund per person.  Gate 1 additionally added a goodwill future travel credit of
$100.00 per person.
 
[redacted] has been made aware of the above offer and we trust that she and
her traveling companion will choose to accept the settlement.
 
Sincerely,
 
Ilene P[redacted]
Senior Vice President

We do believe that had [redacted] visited the school she might have come away
with a different opinion.  Until now we have never received a negative remark on
our practice of aiding local school children.  On the contrary, the visits are
received so well by both the schools and Gate 1 guests that we continue to
enhance the program throughout the world. 
Gate 1 does support these schools by way of providing supplies and
constructing facilities.  No clients are ever asked for financial support. 
There is never any pressure to bring “gifts” to the children. 
 
I trust this well explains our position.
Sincerely,
Ilene P[redacted]

I can appreciate [redacted]'s wish to travel with Gate 1 and we look forward to having an opportunity to show her our good services.
Gate 1 has made no errors.  If [redacted] is unwilling to travel in accordance with our conditions which are, as previously stated dictated by our vendor agreements, we will be happy to refund her in full. 
Sincerely,
Ilene P[redacted]
Senior Vice President

Thank you for your request for information in regard to this claim, Gate 1 Reservation #[redacted].
[redacted] is correct in so much as we received a flight schedule change from
her carrier, [redacted], which resulted in a 10-hour departure change on the
last day of her...

tour, January 27.  Her original flight was scheduled to leave
[redacted] at 2.20 am on January 28 (just after midnight on January 27).  The
schedule change requires her to leave her hotel on the afternoon of January 27
instead of the evening.   Being the last day of the tour, there are no scheduled
activities in order to service clients traveling on various airlines at various
times.
Gate 1 reservations supervisor, Karen D[redacted] has spoken to [redacted] and
explained the situation.  Gate 1 will be covering the cost of [redacted]’s hotel
night in [redacted] and airport transfers, due to the forced miss-connection to her
hometown.
Alternately, should [redacted] choose to do so, we can change her departure to
another tour date or refund her for this tour.
I trust this explanation satisfies this request.  Please advise should you
need any further information.
Respectfully,
Ilene P[redacted]
Senior Vice President
Gate 1

Re: 
Gate 1 Reservation [redacted]
 
Thank you for your request for information in regard to the above
referenced...

claim
 
Per our response to the [redacted]s earlier this month and having received no
other similar guest feedback, we contend that these guests were
never in any danger.  Gate 1 took all precautions that in the event that there
would be road blockages, our guests were escorted to their destination via tour
bus.   Personal danger was no greater a concern on this tour than at any other
time during any given tour.
 
Our Peru office confirms that there were no items thrown at the tour bus. 
There was no report of violence directed at our passengers.
 
Regular briefings were delivered by our Tour Managers to the guests.  Gate
1 even made an unscheduled stop at a hotel for a bathroom and rest stop and to
meet quietly off the tour bus.  Alternate routes were scheduled in order to
avoid road blocks, not because of safety concerns.
 
Refunds for non-provided services have been
processed as follows:
$38.00 on Oct 22 
(representing the Pisac Village Tour)
$214.00 on Nov 5
(representing the Cuzco Tour and Cuzco Home Hosted Dinner)
 
In conclusion and after review, we find no basis
for additional compensation.  Strikes in Peru are common, and although they can
sometimes be the cause of itinerary or schedule changes, have never been cause for tour cancelation. 
 
Respectfully,
 
Ilene P[redacted]
Senior Vice President

Re:  Gate 1 Reservation [redacted]
 
Thank you for your request for information in regard to the above
referenced reservation.
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Upon review we found that indeed there was a
delay in boarding the train.  The [redacted] did however board and depart as
scheduled.  The train was reportedly high speed rail with only one stop in the
town of Zaraogoza for the purpose of disembarking passengers.  The [redacted] did
not have to disembark until they arrived at their destination.
 
The [redacted] received all services purchased and
therefore we find no basis for refund of their tour.  However we do appreciate
the confusion the [redacted] experienced at the rail station prior to embarking the
train, and in respect for that issue are prepared to offer them $100 per
person credit which may be applied towards any Gate 1 escorted or cruise program
purchased.  Upon written receipt of their agreement, the credits will be placed
into their account.  They may be used at any time with no expiration
date.
 
Respectfully,
 
Ilene P[redacted]
Senior Vice President

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Your company came highly recommended. We are first time clients and would like to continue our business relationship with Gate 1 therefore we are asking your consideration in granting us a goodwill credit for our next trip.
Regards,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:Obviously Ms P[redacted] has not taken the time to read or is ignoring the written complaints sent to her over the past 30-40 days from our new acquaintances who accompanied us from Warsaw Poland land portion all the way to the Budapest disembarkation. The aforementioned 14 people have forwarded TO US their letters of complaint and dissatisfaction with this trip. We are not the only people who are of the same mindset as to the unprofessional services and attitudes provided by Gate 1  personnel.
Regards,
[redacted]

Re: Gate 1 Reservation [redacted]
Thank you for your request for information in regard to the
above-referenced claim.
Upon review, this was a simple yet unfortunate case of airline lost
luggage. 
The...

issue was addressed immediately by the clients as well as Gate 1 staff
with the airline.  All were doing their best to help the clients, however the
lost luggage, combined with the tour’s movement throughout the country and busy
itinerary made it difficult to get the luggage to the clients.
Everyone was doing their best to accommodate the clients and they were
understandably frustrated, however I can assure you that nothing more could have
been done under the circumstances to get their belongings to them any
sooner.
Ultimately, as they had been previously advised, this became a case for
travel insurance, and from our understanding with [redacted] Insurance, they have
since been compensated for their loss.
Based upon the above findings we find no cause for compensation in this
case.
Sincerely,
Ilene P[redacted]
Senior Vice President

---------- Forwarded message ----------From: [redacted] <[redacted]>Date: Thu, Apr 30, 2015 at 4:18 PMSubject: Complaint No. [redacted]To: "[redacted]" <[redacted]>Cc: "[redacted]"...

<[redacted]> Ms. [redacted]:Complaint as referenced above has been resolved to the satisfaction of everyone involved. Thank you for your assistance.  Please mark your records accordingly. [redacted].Overland Park, Kansas 66212###-###-####[redacted]

We're currently stuck in Istanbul, Turkey. I will never travel with Gate 1 again. The individual guides were excellent, but all of the rest of the planning and scheduling s[redacted]. It's done on the cheap for Gate 1, with poor service, no help, and overpriced for what you get. Book your own travel and only use their guided tours at a particular site. We had several indivuals who joined in on site tours as independents. They were the smart ones.

I am unable to find this individual in our reservation system.  Can you please ask them to provide the exact names of the passengers and the Gate 1 reservation number?
Thank you & best regards,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:The concerns stated in the complaint were addressed unsatisfactorily, generically, and selectively.  We were told that the Going to the [redacted] was closed because they had not yet put up the guard rails which needed to be done before it opened for the season and that it was usually not open at this time of year.  The response did not deal with the Tour Guide's incompetent and unprofessional behavior.  There was no evidence that anyone was incompatible or disruptive to the group and the tour guide never mentioned this to any of us.  It did not deal with the fact that the removal  of  8 people was stopped by the supervisor
after he was called.  Ms. P[redacted] did acknowledge the Tour Guide's mistake in trying to throw the 8 people off the tour ("Fortunately it did not become necessary.")  Our claim follows this mistake that caused us a lot of emotional harm.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. My main reason for reaching out to the Revdex.com was because of the poor customer service I received and the unwillingness to help. Please kindly address the issue of customer relations/service with sales rep that handled my case.
Thank you,
[redacted]

It can take several days to two weeks to process refunds.  The checks ($100 each to [redacted] and [redacted]) have been issued and will be mailed no later than Monday December 21.
Thank you

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Please let me know when the credit will be posted. 
Regards,
[redacted]

I've been a long time customer of Gate 1 Travel for many years, I've gone on over 10 tours with them over the last 5 years. But there's something different about the company that has happened within the last year or so.

It seems to be more concentrated on profits and less on the enjoyment and personal safety of the customer. A prime example was my latest booking to Russia and the Baltics, the website indicated the price for the trip on my particular date was 3249.00. However, when my reservation was made over the telephone with a Gate 1 Travel CSR it ended up being 3449.00.

After realizing the error, I tried to correct the problem directly with Gate 1. The phone bank supervisor, Caroline, handled the call in a very unprofessional manner. Stating Gate 1 can charge any price it wants and if I authorized the charge on my credit card that they would leave me stranded on the road and take my deposit.

Obviously not something you want to hear from a company that is responsible for you safety halfway across the world. My advice to anyone here, would be to research the destination tour fully. Gate 1 often sub-contracts out the tours to local ( and sometimes dangerous) companies just to earn a pretty penny. Save yourself the inconvenience and dangers of traveling abroad and go with a more competent and customer friendly agency.

We're currently stuck in Istanbul, Turkey. I will never travel with Gate 1 again. The individual guides were excellent, but all of the rest of the planning and scheduling s[redacted]. It's done on the cheap for Gate 1, with poor service, no help, and overpriced for what you get. Book your own travel and only use their guided tours at a particular site. We had several indivuals who joined in on site tours as independents. They were the smart ones.

Review: Gate1 Travel (G1) violated our travel contract on multiple occasions, and on June 20, 2014 tried to break it completely. On several occasions G1’s actions caused us emotional harm. G1’s service was terribly low. Our expectations as to the level of service were reasonable and based on two previous experiences with the company. Ms. P[redacted] of G1 addressed our concerns unsatisfactorily, generically and selectively.

1) On June 20, G1’s tour director (TD) attempted to expel us and six other passengers from the tour. She did it in an extremely rude, vulgar manner. This caused us serious, lasting emotional harm - I have a heart condition. After a phone conversation with her supervisor, her decision was reversed. No reason was given for the attempt to take us off the tour we paid for, or for the decision to let us stay.

2) G1 was unable to keep to tour's itinerary - effectively violating the contract. On many occasions TD prevented or obstructed us from the viewing and/or enjoying attractions described in the itinerary. For example - (A) In Glacier NP - no "Going to the Sun Road;" (B) in [redacted] Canyons - no commentary (disregarding itinerary) and only 15 min time to walk; (C) at [redacted] Lake - no commentary (disregarding itinerary) and being 10 minutes late for the promised cruise, etc. Erratic, factually wrong, grade school level commentary about EVERY single attraction. Inability to give activity recommendations on longer stops. Factually wrong advice regarding safe way back to the hotels.

3) TD inserted in her narration constant sexual innuendos, and well as descriptions or animal sex and her sex with her husband.

4) After June 20, TD treated us in a passive-aggressive manner, effectively inflicting further emotional distress.Desired Settlement: Financial compensation in the full amount paid ($3,395.35 for two people; Res #[redacted])

Business

Response:

Thank you for your request for information in regard to this claim. Below

you can additionally find our original response to [redacted] and [redacted].

Review: We booked our 9 day Classic [redacted] and [redacted] Adventure back in June 2014 for our Jan 20, 2015 departure. This is our first tour with Gate 1 Travel and we were looking forward to it.Suddenly we got an email yesterday (Oct 29, 2014) informing us that our tour flight schedule has been changed. In fact that is NOT the whole truth. Gate 1 changed our tour from 9 days to 8 days with the flight schedule change. We spoke to the supervisor in their customer service and explained to her that we booked 9 days and now it is only 8 days tour so they need to adjust our tour price because there is one day short from what we originally booked for.On top of that they changed their flight schedule and now it costs us an extra hotel stay expense in [redacted] and they should compensate for that. Gate 1 Customer Service Supervisor told us that she understood all that but she refused to take any responsibility or compensate us for anything. This is totally wrong! We were looking forward to the trip and now we feel that we have signed up with a very dishonest company and felt cheated. According to their website, for 8 days land tour is $799 per person so it costs $100 per day. Since they shorted our tour by one day therefore our tour price should be reduced by $100 per person and they should also compensate our extra hotel stay because of they changed our tour package.Desired Settlement: According to their website, the 8 days land tour is $799 per person so it costs $100 per day. Since they shorted our tour by one day therefore our tour price should be reduced by $100 per person and they should also compensate our extra hotel stay because of they changed our tour package. If the tour is being cancelled, they need to compensate us for our hotel and flight booking cancellation fee which is $500.

Business

Response:

Thank you for your request for information in regard to this claim, Gate 1 Reservation #[redacted].