Gate 1 Travel

Review: On October 12, 2013 my husband, [redacted], was in a very serious bicycle accident in southern New Jersey. After the accident he was in the [redacted] trauma center for 3 days, and is presently living at [redacted] Rehabilitation Institute until October 30 with a shattered acetabulum and a fractured pelvis. He needs a walker to walk with, since he cannot put any weight on his left leg. On November 9-17, 2013 we were due to take a Danube River cruise that we had paid for and booked with gate 1 travel. (Reservation # [redacted]). due to this very unexpected and painful experience, we requested of gate 1 to keep our payment for the trip, and then book us for 2014. after a number of phone calls, e-mails, etc. explaining the situation as well as sending appropriate letters and hospital verifications, Gate 1 has not cooperated with us so far. It has been an extremely stressful and difficult time for us due to this accident. All we would like is a postponement of the cruise until 2014.thank you! [redacted] and [redacted]Desired Settlement: We would like a postponement of our paid Danube River cruise until 2014

Business

Response:

Dear **. [redacted],

Thank you for your request for information in regard to the above-referenced claim.

We are fully aware of the [redacted]'s case, and had been in contact with them over the past several weeks, as they contemplated cancelation of their upcoming tour, and then ultimately did cancel,

The [redacted]s were fully aware of our cancelation terms, and as they had not purchased a trip protection plan from Gate 1, they were at the time of discussion under 90% cancelation penalty.

In light of the fact that they had no apparent form of insurance to cover their financial loss, we did ask them to submit medical documentation, any support that we could present to our vendors (who ultimately dictate our cancelation terms) to request their leniency. In their last letter to us on October 25 they advised us that said medical documentation was forthcoming. However to date we have not received it.

Our position remains the same and if we receive the requested documentation, we will present it along with the [redacted]'s request for financial leniency. Please advise us if you or the [redacted]s have any additional questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

Review: The advertising online promoted an escorted small group tour. "If you enjoy the value and convenience of escorted tours, but also crave a privileged, intimate view of local cultures that larger groups can't provide, then you'll love [redacted] Tours by Gate 1! We know that when you journey halfway around the world, you don't want anything to stand between you and getting to the heart of your destination, least of all the size of your group. Traveling in a small group of no more than 22, we'll cover more ground with ease and agility, leave the cookie-cutter itineraries behind, and meet the locals up close - without crushing your travel budget." http://www.gate1travel.com/video/discovery.aspx

The tour was not escorted and some of the activities were not small group activities. Not having an escort caused many complications during the vacation and lots of lost time. In addition, not having the escort caused a lot of misinformation and not being properly prepared for outings. Since returning from vacation Gate 1 has added verbiage about the tour now including a Full time escort. It appears Gate 1 realized that the original verbiage was misleading and that this trip was not suitable for travelers without an escort.

The way the accommodations and meals were described in the advertising was not the accommodations and meals that were received. I paid for triple occupancy rooms and received double occupancy rooms at two of the hotels we stayed at. The portion of the trip at the [redacted] hotel was horrendous. Gate 1 was notified while we were at the hotel that the hotel was not meeting expectations and that I was not satisfied with the services. The agent I spoke with said he would call back that night. I never received a call back. I noticed that since my vacation Gate 1 is no longer using this hotel, which indicates to me they know there is a customer service and quality issue. The hotel served raw chicken and had many health concerns, the room was missing a lock, and the hotel staff did not meet contractual obligations. All of this was immediately brought to the attention of Gate 1.

All of the above concerns were addressed with Christine S[redacted] who is the Vice President of Customer Service for Gate 1. Christine’s response blamed the companies misrepresentation of the vacation on my ability to understand the material online. I am one of 15 people who attended the vacation and misunderstood the material online. The information online has been changed since I returned from Africa.Desired Settlement: I want 100% refund for the day lost traveling to Zimbabwe. I want a 100% refund for the time spent at the [redacted]. I want a 50% refund for the time at [redacted] Lodge. I want a 100% refund for the hotel in Cape town.

Business

Response:

Thank

you for your request for information in regard to the above-referenced claims.

As the claimants are all of the same Gate 1 reservation and traveled together, I

will reply as a unit.

Review: I had purchased a getaway package Through [redacted] which directed me to Gate1 Travel Agency to book my trip to Iceland for 5 days 4 nights for a total amount of $799 per person. The trip was booked and finalized with airfare booked I believe the same month that this was purchased (march), with travel date November 10-14. The person that I was supposed to be traveling with got seriously injured and was unable to make the trip in November. With this happening, I decided to take my sister on this trip so I had contacted Gate1 Travel about this issue. The situation was very clear to them and I was informed that the name change would be performed for a fee of $75 which I was ready and willing to pay. Once I discussed this with my sister I had called back to make the change and this is when the problem started. The representative from Gate1 Travel informed me that no such thing could be done, and that I was illegal for an Airline to change the name on the airline ticket. It is very unbelievable how two travel agents from the same company could relay such wrong information.

The information overall was inconsistent, and it was very clear to me that these workers did not understand their own company's policy let alone what it's like to give a customer proper customer service. After I was informed that the name change could not be done I was forced to cancel my entire trip with the hope that [redacted] (company I purchased voucher for) would give me a full refund so a different getaway could be booked. Throughout this whole situation, neither [redacted] or Gate1 Travel offered any logical solutions to me. According to Gate1 Travel, the conclusion was that I, would be at a loss of $620 for the booked airfare which according to them is non-refundable plus a $200 cancellation fee which amounts to a total of $820 per person. What It's very alarming to me is how two companies can take someone's money like this and simply state that it is no longer there.

In my opinion, I should not be penalized for having such a drastic event happen in my life let alone try to take advantage of that in order to make money of the consumer. The conclusion of this is : Gate1 travel pocketing $1,600 dollars and not allowing any refund for this when I will not be using their services. I want a solution for this because I can't believe that my money is being robbed this way.Desired Settlement: At this point, the way I have been treated with this company, I want a full refund.

Business

Response:

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]

Consumer

Response:

[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]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: I have already spoken with two representatives from Gate1 and they are both trying to re-instate my boarding pass. However, given the circumstances, they want to charge me extra for this on top of $800 loss. In my opinion, this business is in the wrong for having untrained employees and misdirecting customers. An $800 loss for this business would not be material, nor would it affect their books. A $800 loss for me would greatly affect my finances and I do not think I should be punished for being misinformed and misdirected, and practically taken advantage off just to make the sale. I don't want my ticket reinstated, I want my full refund and I will not stop fighting this until I receive it.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Thank you for your request for information in regard to the

above-referenced claim, Gate 1 reservation #[redacted].

Review: My wife and I are flying to Iceland on Jan. 26, 2014. I am disabled and need a bulkhead seat. I called Gate 1 and spoke to [redacted] who told me he would take care of it. He called and told me it was done. Now I find out that my wife and I are not even sitting together, and neither seat is a bulkhead with extra legroom. I spoke to 2 other people at Gate 1- [redacted] and [redacted]. Neither one would help us, and they admit that [redacted] lied to us.Desired Settlement: We would like to have the seats we were promised.

Business

Response:

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to respond to this claim.

We have been working with the claimant and airline to secure the best seating assignments, and to date we have been advised by the carrier that they will provide bulkhead seats on the outbound flight. Unfortunately the return bulkhead seats have already been pre-assigned and barring any cancellations we will only be able to guarantee standard seating.

We have communicated this information to the client and additionally offered a full refund if he is dissatisfied with these arrangements.

Kindly advise if you wish any further information.

Sincerely,

Senior Vice President / Gate 1 Travel

Review: We only went on the Gate 1 Travel 9 Day Canadian Rockies Tour from 6/14-6/22/2014 because it went to [redacted] National Park and the itinerary stated we would "[redacted]" which is the highlight of [redacted]. Gate 1 knew that the Road would most likely not yet be open for the season, but there was no disclaimer in the tour description. Had we known this, we would not have gone on this tour. We also didn't go to [redacted] Valley because it too was not yet open. The Tour Manager/guide was unprofessional, incompetent, disorganized and not knowledgeable. Her narratives were incoherent, boring, repetitive, and full of factual mistakes. They often included sexual innuendos which were inappropriate especially as there was a 12 year old on the tour. She was not informed about the sites we visited and was unable to recommend where to go, what to do, and what to see. For example, she gave us no information about the [redacted] Lake/[redacted] Canyons underground water system even though it was promised in the tour description. At [redacted] Canyon, because she told us nothing, several people saw only the lower less interesting part of the Canyon and others like us stayed on the bus and thus missed a highlight of the tour. She was also lacking in people skills and could not handle problems effectively. The most egregious thing she did was to unsuccessfully attempt to throw 8 people including the 12 yr. old off the tour with no reasons or explanations. A call to Lou at Gate 1 got everyone reinstated but this caused us extreme emotional distress. No one has ever given us an explanation of her bizarre behavior.

When we got home, we and other people sent Gate 1 a very detailed description of the problems. Their unsatisfactory response was inaccurate and didn't address our concerns especially about trying to throw us off the tour. They offered a $100 credit on a future tour which we told them was unacceptable. They did not respond.Desired Settlement: We feel we are due a refund because Gate 1 did not deliver what was described in the tour itinerary, and also because their Tour Manger was incompetent and caused us unnecessary emotional distress. We do not want future credits.

Business

Response:

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

our response to **. and [redacted]. [redacted]’s claim in July.

Review: I had to cancel my trip of Nov 9, 2013 to Morocco due to medical reasons per my Doctor. I called Gate 1 and also mail a letter on 12/5/13 and never received a reply. I paid $4511.08 and would like my money back. So any help from you agency would help me.Desired Settlement: Full refund

Business

Response:

Thank you for your request for information in regard to the

above-referenced reservation.

Review: -My grievance to Gate 1 is that I purchased a vacation based on the advertisement which stated the vacation was an escorted tour. The Gate 1 home page states, "If you enjoy the value and convenience of escorted tours, but also crave a privileged, intimate view of local cultures that larger groups can't provide, then you'll love [redacted] by Gate 1! We know that when you journey halfway around the world, you don't want anything to stand between you and getting to the heart of your destination, least of all the size of your group. Traveling in a small group of no more than 22, we'll cover more ground with ease and agility, leave the cookie-cutter itineraries behind, and meet the locals up close - without crushing your travel budget." http://www.[redacted]

-When I arrived in Africa there was no escort and many issues arose as a result of not having an escort. For example, spending an entire day trying to get through customs. Missing activities because I was unaware of when and were to be because there was not an escort. Not having the proper attire and materials for an activity because I was not prepped by an escort.

-The website also states that you will never be in groups of more than 22 people but I was with groups larger than 22 people during the vacation.

-Hotels I stayed at did not meet the standards promised by the literature provided to me by Gate 1.

-I paid for triple occupancy rooms but received double occupancy rooms.

Raw chicken was served

Customer service at the hotel was terrible.Desired Settlement: I believe a 100% refund is appropriate for the day lost traveling to Zimbabwe. I believe 100% refund should be paid for the time spent at the [redacted]. (I noticed that Gate 1 is no longer using this hotel and I believe it is because the services were substandard) I believe that 50% refund should be given for the time at [redacted] Lodge.

Business

Response:

Thank

you for your request for information in regard to the above-referenced claims.

As the claimants are all of the same Gate 1 reservation and traveled together, I

will reply as a unit.

Review: We booked a family vacation to Europe; we have three children traveling with us, ages 11, 10 and 8. The trip involves Budapest, Vienna and Prague, which require train transportation between the three cities. At the train station in Budapest, one of the American passenger we met pointed out to us that her child, same age as my oldest paid only 1/2 price on the same second class rail, but my tickets showed my three children paid full adult price tickets for both the Budapest to Vienna and Vienna to Prague train tickets. I checked with the rail station and also checked Eurail's website, which clearly states children under 11 years of age travel at the half adult price.

When I contacted Gate 1 to check and see if we have been overcharged, their supervisor said that after her investigation, her company's market department indicates that they can only obtain adult train tickets from their distributors. I question why this issue was never clearly stated on their disclosures in the packet they sent us prior to travel, which included the train tickets. Also, on this trip, we are responsible for our own airport to hotel and also train station to hotel transportation costs, why did they not offer their customers the right to book directly through Eurail? My wife and I believe very strongly that Gate 1 Travel has failed to disclose the travel products they are selling and furthermore they are overcharging their customers, specifically those traveling with children. Consumers are entitled to have full disclosure for the services provided.Desired Settlement: Refund of the difference of my three children's train tickets. Example: Budapest to Vienna (adult prices $55.00), Vienna to Prague (adult prices $94). For our children: the amount that should have been charged: ($27.50 x 3) + ($47 x 3) = $82.50 + 141 = $223.50. TOTAL REFUND: $223.50.

Business

Response:

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

We believe that there was a misunderstanding between the client and Gate 1. Gate 1 does not offer special rail fares based upon age groups. Package prices are all inclusive and the only possibility of reduced fare (typically airfare) for a child would appear during the reservation process.

Never-the-less, as a goodwill gesture we have refunded the client their requested amount, $223.50.

Our best wishes for a very happy holiday season and new year,

Senior Vice President / Gate 1 Travel

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I appreciate Gate 1 for being understanding about the situation. As a consumer, we do not expect any special favors, only to be charged reasonably. We also appreciate upfront disclosures from the vendor. Thank you.

Regards,

Review: I am a honest person who works hard and wanted to have a baby moon vacation with my 4 month expecting wife.

My wife purchased a Europe travel package, the travel agency is Gate1 travel, purchasing a extra travel insurance for a total of $3800 paid in full. We are 9 days away from the flight date. but I cannot get my visas on time for the trip, we called the travel agency and tried to come up with any sort of fix, either switch the dates and postpone, a full refund or company credit so we can have a vacation after all.

Nothing came out from the many lengthy phone calls .

The extra traveler protection insurance purchased is a joke ! .

we called and explained our situation and got 0 . and I thought "well that's ok that's what insurance is for ". Boy I was wrong! , we were told that we purchased the wrong insurance for that matter, we purchased the travel insurance and that there are two different types of insurance "a travel insurance" (the one we purchased) and a "cancel for any reason" insurance witch was never offered to us. AND from what I read in reviews is subject to a botch % refund depending on how close to the date of travel.

excuse my English.Desired Settlement: Help me have a vacation and not loose all of our hard earned money from a technicality.

Business

Response:

Thank you for your request for information in regard to this claim, Gate 1 Reservation [redacted].Since receiving this claim letter, our reservations staff has been working with the customer and arrived at an equitable solution. They have canceled their trip and will rebook at a later date.Please advise if you or the claimant require any additional information.Sincerely,Ilene P[redacted]Senior Vice President