Gate 1 Travel Consumer Reviews - Page 2

FORT WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA -- I booked the Portugal – Spain vacation as a high school graduation present for my son. The trip was scheduled June 8 - 22 and it was purchased for the two (2) of us for over $7,000 with Gate 1 Travel. With the exception of Fatima Burgarin, Travel Director, the trip was good. Fatima failed miserably in providing exceptional customer service and she failed miserably in regional cultural sensitivity.
On the last night, during the farewell dinner, she proposed a Champaign toast. She said, “Iny Meany My Nemo, catch a “N” (The “N” word used to describe Black People/African – Americans) by his toe; if he squeals, let him go, Eny, meeny, miney, moe.” This is the racist version of the nursery rhyme. As our glasses were suspended in the air, I was in disbelief, hurt, confused, and embarrasssed. My son and I were the only African-Americans among 40 phenomenal travelers. The lady sitting next to me who has a bi-racial daughter said, “Did she say what I thought she said? I responded yes, she did!”

The issue wasn't that my son and I were the only African-Americans on the trip; however, the issue was that I didn't pay $7,000+ dollars to have a representative of Gate 1 to disassemble my entire experience with her lack of regional cultural sensitivity. The cultural insensitivity experienced caused me to have to console my son and to counsel him on the ignorance and embarrasssment that was projected on him by Fatima's remarks.

Upon our return, I went through the chain of command and wrote the Karina Avesian, Reservationist. She referred the complaint to Customer Service. After receiving an e-mail from Anne Saldutte, Customer Service, I wrote and submitted the complaint. One week passed and I didn't receive any feedback, so I inquired about the status of the complaint. Days went buy and they said they are still looking into it. One week passed, and I requested to speak with the Customer Service Manager. I received a notice from Ann with an offer of $100.00 as a goodwill gesture for us being subjected to hearing the word “N” towards a future trip within the calendar year of 2017.

After receiving the e-mail from Anne, I then sent another e-mail. The e-mail stated, “I requested to speak with a manager, which was not granted. I will not accept $100.00 towards another trip. This further adds insult to the injury!” Days went by and I received a telephone call from Caitlin Spindler, Customer Service Manager, telling me that they apologize and can't take back what was said by Fatima. I told her that the $100.00 goodwill gesture further adds insult to the wound. She then asked me to tell her what I wanted. I told her that they are a mega conglomerate company, and they needed to resolve the situation and to make it right for my son and me. We didn't ask to be insulted while traveling with Gate 1 Travel. I didn't pay $7,000+ dollars to have my vacation ruined by Fatima Burgarin, Travel Director.
I sent a letter along with the e-mails to Dani Pipano, President and Marty Seslow, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Over two (2) weeks went by before I received a response. An e-mail was received from Caitlin Spindler, Customer Service Manager, pretty much re-stating was stated before. There was no resolve to this issue.

I will not recommend this company to anyone because they failed in providing exceptional customer services from the President down Customer Service when we needed them the most. You never know the potential of a company until you are met with a challenging experiences, like this one.

What we experienced changed the course of our vacation. To-date, we are still hurt and having extensive discussions on the matter. Apparently, Gate 1 Travel doesn't provide regional cultural sensitivity training to the Travel Directors or exceptional customer service training. It's apparent to me that they are not equipped to handle or be accountable when areas, like what we experienced, are breached. As a mother, I could not allow this experience to go undocumented and allowed my son to see what I wrote and the feedback received to allow him to see how some corporations can fail you, the customer, miserably as Gate 1 Travel has failed us on so many levels.

I decided not to go the legal route and to allow the public seeking reviews about Gate 1 Travel to hear my story and to make an informed decision prior to booking with the company. I have all of the e-mails and the letters sent to the Presidents to support this very toxic experience.

The question I have is how would you have handled the situation? How do you think that Gate 1 Travel should have handled the situation? How do you think that Gate 1 Travel should have compensated us?

We respect and appreciate the feedback we have received in regards to our travel experience with Gate 1.

In response to the comments, I would like to say that the first rule in business is to know your audience prior to initiating any form of communications. Next, it is imperative to have an understanding of the diversities ethnic groups and cultures when providing when providing customer service in business.

Gate 1 is a U.S. based company that conducts business nationally and internationally. When hiring from both regions in providing customer service, it is imperative for the company to provide ethnic, culture, and diversity sensitivity trainings to all of their employees to mitigate risks and liabilities. Education always trump ignorance! I really don't fault the Tour Director, I fault Gate 1. If she had been provided he tools, resources, and received adequate training, the risk factor would have been mitigated. She works for a U.S. company and everyone on the escorted tour were U.S. Citizens.

During the toast, I didn't say anything because I was in shock and needed time to process. I compartmentalized the raw feelings I'd encountered. Some of the travelers who spoke with me about the situation were in shock too! Even though we were feeling terrible, we took the high road and I told my son that we will have a discussion upon our return to the hotel room. During our discussion, I told him how I was going to handle the situation and he has been involved every step of the way. In our effort to resolve the situation, we drafted the complaint and respected the chain of command, which involved the agent, customer service, president, vice-president and last resort the social media outlets.

This is how I would like for Gate 1 to bring resolve to the issue…

1. Mail a formal letter of apology to all of the travelers who shared the escorted tour
2. Provide a prorated refund to all of the travelers the last day of travel based upon the total cost expended. For an example, the cost of the trip was $7,000/15 days = $466.00 per day. The refund should be $466.00 for the day.
3. Provide ethnic, culture & diversity sensitivity training to all national and international employees
4. Streamline the customer complaint process and improve the policies & procedures
5. Ensure the complaints are taken seriously
6. Understand complaints are critical and handle them with a sense of urgency that includes a reasonable maximum number of days to resolve
7. Provide customers with substantive feedback and resolutions

Gate 1 Travel failed us miserably and we had the potential to become repeat customers; however, under the circumstances, we will not recommend the company to any of my family members and friends.

Gate 1 stated they offered the $100 as a goodwill because I desired to travel with them again; however, this implication was taken out of context. How they handled the situation would determine if we would travel with them again. My son and I appreciate the feedback and wish everyone all the best in their future traveling endeavors.

I booked the Portugal – Spain vacation as a high school graduation present for my son. The trip was scheduled June 8 - 22 and it was purchased for the two (2) of us for over $7,000 with Gate 1 Travel. With the exception of Fatima Burgarin, Travel Director, the trip was good. Fatima failed miserably in providing exceptional customer service and she failed miserably in regional cultural sensitivity.

On the last night, during the farewell dinner, she proposed a Champaign toast. She said, “Iny Meany My Nemo, catch a “N” (The “N” word used to describe Black People/African – Americans) by his toe; if he squeals, let him go, Eny, meeny, miney, moe.” This is the racist version of the nursery rhyme. As our glasses were suspended in the air, I was in disbelief, hurt, confused, and embarrasssed. My son and I were the only African-Americans among 40 phenomenal travelers. The lady sitting next to me who has a bi-racial daughter said, “Did she say what I thought she said? I responded yes, she did!”

The issue wasn't that my son and I were the only African-Americans on the trip; however, the issue was that I didn't pay $7,000+ dollars to have a representative of Gate 1 to disassemble my entire experience with her lack of regional cultural sensitivity. The cultural insensitivity experienced caused me to have to console my son and to counsel him on the ignorance and embarrasssment that was projected on him by Fatima's remarks.

Upon our return, I went through the chain of command and wrote the Karina Avesian, Reservationist. She referred the complaint to Customer Service. After receiving an e-mail from Anne Saldutte, Customer Service, I wrote and submitted the complaint. One week passed and I didn't receive any feedback, so I inquired about the status of the complaint. Days went buy and they said they are still looking into it. One week passed, and I requested to speak with the Customer Service Manager. I received a notice from Ann with an offer of $100.00 as a goodwill gesture for us being subjected to hearing the word “N” towards a future trip within the calendar year of 2017.

After receiving the e-mail from Anne, I then sent another e-mail. The e-mail stated, “I requested to speak with a manager, which was not granted. I will not accept $100.00 towards another trip. This further adds insult to the injury!” Days went by and I received a telephone call from Caitlin Spindler, Customer Service Manager, telling me that they apologize and can't take back what was said by Fatima. I told her that the $100.00 goodwill gesture further adds insult to the wound. She then asked me to tell her what I wanted. I told her that they are a mega conglomerate company, and they needed to resolve the situation and to make it right for my son and me. We didn't ask to be insulted while traveling with Gate 1 Travel. I didn't pay $7,000+ dollars to have my vacation ruined by Fatima Burgarin, Travel Director.
I sent a letter along with the e-mails to Dani Pipano, President and Marty Seslow, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Over two (2) weeks went by before I received a response. An e-mail was received from Caitlin Spindler, Customer Service Manager, pretty much re-stating was stated before. There was no resolve to this issue.

I will not recommend this company to anyone because they failed in providing exceptional customer services from the President down Customer Service when we needed them the most. You never know the potential of a company until you are met with a challenging experiences, like this one.

What we experienced changed the course of our vacation. To-date, we are still hurt and having extensive discussions on the matter. Apparently, Gate 1 Travel doesn't provide regional cultural sensitivity training to the Travel Directors or exceptional customer service training. It's apparent to me that they are not equipped to handle or be accountable when areas, like what we experienced, are breached. As a mother, I could not allow this experience to go undocumented and allowed my son to see what I wrote and the feedback received to allow him to see how some corporations can fail you, the customer, miserably as Gate 1 Travel has failed us on so many levels.

I decided not to go the legal route and to allow the public seeking reviews about Gate 1 Travel to hear my story and to make an informed decision prior to booking with the company. I have all of the e-mails and the letters sent to the Presidents to support this very toxic experience.

The question I have is how would you have handled the situation? How do you think that Gate 1 Travel should have handled the situation? How do you think that Gate 1 Travel should have compensated us?

FORT WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA -- This was my fourth and last time traveling with Gate 1 Travel. Since the age of 17 (in 2008), I traveled with Gate 1 Travel to South Africa and Swaziland, Brazil and Argentina, Peru, and India. When I turned 20 years old (in 2011), I started exploring the world on my own – without a guided group tour. I was able to visit the same countries and the same attractions as advertised on Gate 1 Travel, but for much less. On a mission to visit every country in the world, finding the best deal is most important to me. Gate 1 Travel does not offer the best prices for airfare or hotels. After being able to score better deals, I dumped group travel all together. During this time, my parents traveled with Gate 1 Travel to Ecuador and Vietnam. It was time for another family vacation, and my mother was most interested in India. Chicago is a long way away from India, so we decided to also visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives while in the area. Given my laziness during this vacation planning process, I decided to book the 9 Day Golden Triangle of India tour with Gate 1 Travel and then continue on to Sri Lanka and the Maldives on our own. One of the benefits of organized travel is that planning a trip is as easy as clicking the “confirm” button on the webpage. It does not take a lot of time or thought.

When it comes to airfare, book your own. Gate 1 Travel offers “Air & Land” packages. However, a simple Google Flight Search (which uses ITA software), will result in cheaper flights than offered by Gate 1 Travel. The “Land Only” packages do not allow for deviation from the organized hotel options. Outside of group travel, you can find hotels for much less than advertised on Gate 1 Travel. Our schedule allowed for 6 days in India, which would mean we had to leave the tour early. Although we were not staying at the last hotel in the itinerary, we still had to pay for it. Aggravating, but understandable – Gate 1 Travel tours are booked as packages after all.

My mother, brother, and I arrived in India knowing what to expect. I booked our own transportation from Indira Gandhi International Airport to The Park hotel in New Delhi, since I wanted to pay less than Gate 1 Travel advertised. Transportation is widely available at the airport. We arrived at the hotel on Day 3 of the tour around 01:00 in the morning. Days 1 and 2 on the itinerary are counted as travel days. The tour began on Day 3 with an Old and New Delhi City Tour. India is a third world country; and that is something you need to keep in mind while traveling. I had the opportunity to travel to some of the richest cities in the world as well as to some of the poorest.

Breakfast at The Park hotel was exceptional. Then again, I had just returned from a month long overland trip through East Africa. After breakfast, we met our guide and were escorted to the bus. I am not sure when Gate 1 Travel started mandating a seating chart for the bus, but none of the tours I completed with the company ever enforced a seating chart. During the trip I was told what to do, when to do it, and where to sit. The last time I had to sit according to a seating chart was in middle school. I understand the reasons why Gate 1 Travel thought it was a good idea to implement a seating chart, but the way it was executed could not work. According to the seating chart, my family would have never seen the front of the bus, completely defeating the purpose of a rotating seating chart. Susceptible to motion sickness, I needed to sit in the front of the bus, especially given the distance we were driving on this tour. I communicated my concern to the guide before boarding the bus and she simply told me there is nothing that she can do. [Insert curse word]. She would not even accommodate me with a medical problem. Absolutely ridiculous. Later on in the day, a passenger got sick on the bus and needed to immediately use a bathroom – it was an emergency. The guide stated the driver could stop in 15 to 20 minutes. Please tell me how an emergency is supposed to wait? Mind you, there was a bathroom on the bus that was supposed to be accessible for emergencies.

We spent two nights at The Park hotel in New Delhi. Day 4 included a long bus ride from New Delhi to Jaipur. We were leaving New Delhi early, so we had to wake up early for breakfast. We get to the breakfast area and it is closed. Turns out, the guide provided the group with the wrong time for breakfast the night before. About half of the Gate 1 Travel group was waiting in front of the “closed” sign, aggravated and complaining. When the hotel staff finally reached the guide, she apologized and blamed hotel management for the miscommunication. You would think the guide would have the integrity to take responsibility for the mistake and not blame someone else for incorrectly providing information to 20 plus people.

We spent a lot of time on the bus. The distance between New Delhi and Jaipur and Jaipur and Agra called for two travel days (Days 4 and 6). Aside from the unreasonable seating chart, the bus was comfortable. The seats reclined and were kept clean. These long bus rides allowed for plenty of time to learn about India. During the bus rides, we were given the opportunity to learn about our guide. Correction: during the bus rides, we learned every personal detail and story about our guide – so much for learning about India. At least now, I can share personal stories about someone else's life when I am asked about the trip. I cannot speak to facts about India, but at least now, I can tell you about arranged marriages and wedding planning. Please excuse the sarcasm. As a guide, I believe it is important to be personable. You want your customers to feel comfortable and to be able to relate. I enjoyed listening to stories first-hand, but at the end of the day, I traveled to India to learn about the country. The magnitude of personal information shared was a bit annoying. Towards the end of the trip, a passenger interrupted “story telling time”, and only then did the guide realize it was overwhelming.

The itinerary. The itinerary for Gate 1 Travel tours cover all the main tourist attractions. Given the large amount of attractions and limited time, the tour disclaimer warned of the fast pace. On a mission to see the world, my travel-style is often fast paced. I had no problem with the pace of the tour. I understand why some passengers voiced their negative opinions regarding the pace, but I knew what to expect. I booked the optional tours on Days 5, and 7 to fill up our free time. Additionally, outside of the organized and optional tours, we ventured off on our own to explore some more. The two optional dinners: Dinner at Local Jaipur Restaurant with Traditional Folk Dance and Dinner at Local Agra Restaurant with Bollywood Dance were very disappointing. At both dinners, we were seated in a room and provided with bland Indian dishes while watching a dancer perform. The food was horrible and the dancers looked anything but excited to be there.

The food. I love Indian food. And, I love spicy food. By spicy, I do not mean “white girl” spicy, I mean real spicy. Everything prepared for Gate 1 Travel was bland. I was looking forward to eating real Indian food in India. Instead, the meals included in the itinerary were Americanized dishes. Where were the spices that India is famous for? I brought this up to the guide. She suggested that at each restaurant she would speak to the chef to customize and prepare my dish separate from the group. I was thankful that a solution was proposed; however, the curries and chutneys prepared separately arrived at the table after I finished eating at each restaurant. Disappointing.

In Jaipur, we stayed at the Ramada Jaipur and in Agra at the Trident Agra Hotel. As a businesswoman and travel writer, my work follows me outside of the country. For the price that Gate 1 Travel customers overpay for hotels, Gate 1 Travel should select hotels that offer free Wi-Fi. It is no secret that people are obsessed with technology and communication, so it should be no surprise that everyone complained about not having free Wi-Fi.

Other things that annoyed me: the guide insisted on a “bus bazaar” at almost every tourist attraction. Not only did this take up time, but also we were all capable of buying our own souvenirs. Additionally, during the trip, the guide invited a young boy onto the bus to perform a magic trick. Placing customers on vacation in the position to give away their money is ludicrous. Obviously, we are a bus full of fortunate people that will give up our money out of guilt. The bus also stopped on the side of the road to watch a monkey do a trick. Afterwards, the guide stated that we should tip because these performers do not entertain for free. I did not support the performers the guide brought onto the bus or stopped for, because if people keep supporting this, the guide will continue forcing passengers to pay money to people she deems deserving.

Furthermore, the following is something that has aggravated me on all Gate 1 Travel tours – I think it is absurd that Gate 1 Travel takes their passengers to factories that end in time consuming and overpriced shopping opportunities. For instance, we stopped at a marble factory. Inside, we had the opportunity to witness a staged setting of laborers working on a marble piece. Yes, watching the workers manually create a craft was interesting; however, the sole purpose of Gate 1 Travel taking us here was to make commission off anything purchased. These factories that we stopped at (marble, carpet, textile), up charged every sale item. Most of these ignorant travelers will buy something; and then, Gate 1 Travel wins. My family and some other travelers refused to go inside the shops that Gate 1 Travel brought us to. Not only is it a complete waste of time, but you can buy any of these items outside the factory for much less.

Day 8 called for a bus ride from Agra to New Delhi-Gurgaon. Prior to arriving in India, I arranged for a private transfer back to Indira Gandhi International Airport since we had a flight to Sri Lanka that evening. The driver (not associated with Gate 1 Travel) arrived on time and took us back to Delhi. During the drive, I concluded that this would be my last time traveling with Gate 1 Travel.

Organized travel has its benefits: it is easy and does not require much thought; everything is planned for you. However, everything is planned for you. If you enjoy having everything planned for you – what to do, when to do it, and even where to sit – Gate 1 Travel is the company for you. Organized travel includes a guide. Guides can be informative and helpful or they can be rude and give off a negative tone and attitude. Unfortunately, it is a gamble, and we did not get lucky this time. Organized travel offers comfort. You stay at familiar hotels and eat familiar foods. If you do not like to get out of your comfort zone, stay at Americanized hotels and eat Americanized food, while overpaying for airfare, hotels, and activities – Gate 1 Travel tours are for you. Organized tours are not for everybody. This trip was a reminder of why I plan my own travels.

PENNSYLVANIA -- February 4, 2020: I would like to comment on our Tour Manager for Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, (Buddee Koravit). On a scale of 1 to 5 this gentleman was at least an 8. Vit far exceeded the requirements of any tour manager. He prepared a booklet for each passenger that described the overall trip, how many nights in each location, the schedule each day which included hourly agenda and baggage pick up times.

He would stop at various interesting venues for passengers to experience local culture, farming etc and often would purchase with his own funds local delicacies for us to try. He was very conscientious in protecting passenger's health along the way by constantly providing hand sanitizer, cool wipes and bottles of water. He made this a memorable trip and we would certainly travel with him again. He is a truly nice individual.

My husband and I purchased a three-day tour to Cuba in August through Gate 1. We travel extensively and have never taken a tour before, but we were nervous about going to Cuba without an organized tour. We paid over $3,200 for this trip.

Part of our tour included a US tour guide for the trip. While our US guide accompanied us to the airport, unbeknownst to us, he was detained at security and never got on the plane. When we got to Cuba and got off the plane, we didn't have a US guide. We were all standing around the airport looking for him and wondering what we should do. A guy in the airport finally came up to my husband and asked if he was the guide. He responded that our guide was missing.

After over an hour of waiting and nervously wondering what to do, the Cuban guide from the bus came in to collect us. He didn't know where our US guide was either. We ended up spending the day with him and Gate 1 sent in a US guide the following day for our next two days.

So let me recap, we were sent to Cuba WITHOUT a US guide. Our package included a US guide for three days. We had one for two days. I e-mailed Gate 1 about this when I got back. It took them THREE weeks to respond to my e-mail and their response is below:

"Our tours to Cuba, as an additional courtesy include an escort who accompanies flights from Miami to Havana. Their capacity is one of an aide, an organizer. They are not guides. The position of guide is always the function of a local Cuban, in your case, Ramiro. The individual who was to accompany your group did not show up. Aside from his absence, we have been assured that all services were provided, and the following morning a replacement, Annie arrived to assume the position.

We regret any concern you experienced, however as all services were performed and touring continued without interruption, we find no grounds for compensation. As a gesture of goodwill, we wish to offer you $100 per person travel credit which may be applied towards your next purchase of any escorted tour, discovery tour or river cruise with Gate 1 Travel. This credit is valid until December 31, 2017. Kindly refer to this correspondence at the time of reservation to ensure the proper credit is applied."

The tour sure didn't advertise our US guide as an escort or organizer. Specifically, we paid for the "Services of a Cuban English-speaking Guide and a USA tour manager throughout" according to their website. Also, our guide "did not show up", he was detained at security which is a much different scenario. Stay away from this company. They are happy to take your money, but offer deplorable service!!! Even the airlines treat you better than this when they disrupt your travel!!!

ARIZONA -- This was our first experience with Gate One. I had been dubious about using them, as their prices were quite a bit lower than our usual Viking Cruises. We had booked this cruise to the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, in August, 2020, through Gate One, only because the Viking cruise had been sold out at that time. Now my suspicions about Gate One have been proven to be correct! We paid the full amount for the entire cruise, plus the airline portion, according to their deadlines.

Now, the Passion Play itself has been postponed, due to the Corona Virus. That was our main reason for going on this cruise, of course. We wouldn't want to go to that particular city, just to see an empty stage! So what is Gate One doing about this? As far as we know -- they have not notified us about any modifications to this cruise -- the cruise is being modified, or canceled, or whatever! Our travel agent (who has booked us on many great trips--she is very experienced!) can't even get in touch with Gate One by phone. She told us she has been held on hold with them for 2 hours, at which point she finally hung up! She can't get any information about this or any cruise from them at all.

Gate One says (by email) that if we cancel now, we will only get 75% of our payment back. If they offer a voucher, we will not take it, because we will NEVER travel with Gate One again, after this horrific experience! I called their "Medical H help Line,' and all I got was a recorded announcement (great, if I'm having a heart attack!) trying to sell me their medical device! But, I would get a "Free Gift," if I bought this thing. Then I was transferred to another recording, trying to sell me something else, with yet another "Free Gift." How about giving us our money back!

CALIFORNIA -- We have traveled with Gate 1 travel on 5 trips. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars with them. We were loyal customers, taking sometimes two tours a year with them. But when we booked our last trip to Greece in Jan 2018 for a travel date of Sept 2018 that is when the terrible service started. I booked the trip early Jan. We had a horrible family situation 2 weeks after booking. I told Gate 1 of this tragic event and was advised by them to cancel it. So I cancelled the trip with Gate 1 for Greece. I took out their travel insurance when I booked the trip. I paid over $3k for the trip upfront and they told me to contact their insurance carrier.

When I did and tried to make a claim with the insurance company, they said they had no record of reservation. I called Gate 1 and wrote them Gate 1 many times, that I couldn't put in a claim, because they told me I didn't have a reservation number. Gate 1 cancelled it, so therefore there was not a reservation. I went back and forth with Gate 1 to try to get my money back, and they kept telling me, contact the insurance company.

After 4 weeks and 32 emails back and forth with Gate 1, I contacted my Credit card company and asked them to put it in dispute. When I told them I put the amount dispute they told me they couldn't help me. Well they weren't helping me before in the first place. My credit card company sided with me, and credited the full amount to my account. During this process, I got a call from Karen a manager of customer service at Gate 1 literally screaming at me that I had to pay for the $951 airfare or they would block my email address. It was insane.

I have never been treated so badly by a company. Having to deal with Gate 1 travel after having the stress of my family emergency was over the top. They treat their loyal customer like dirt. It is really sad too, because my husband and I are retired and travel all the time, once again. I recently tried to book a trip with them, and they told me I was blacklisted. Blacklisted. Seriously? You are not a loyal customer to them, even if you spend thousands of dollars with them. Don't travel with Gate 1. Terrible Customer Service and once they have your money, they won't give it back.

OHIO -- I have used Gate 1 Travel at least 10 times and have generally had a good experience with them. I had one agent that I didn't like, but for the most part the agents have been agreeable and efficient. When I missed a connection because of a snowstorm, they were good about re-booking my flights.

If you think that you have several people joining you on the trip, It appears that you have tell Gate 1 initially. I was kind of ticked off when 8 friends signed up for the trip at my suggestion and I could not get the group discount. Several of them gave them reservation number when they made their reservations but to no avail in terms of a discount.

I have generally been pleased with the hotels, especially on the Discovery trips. They are usually centrally located. However, frequently the pictures of the hotels on the hotel websites make the locations look a lot better than they are. That's not to say that the hotels were bad, but they looked a lot better online.

The one thing that I don't like about Gate 1 is the tipping. I wish that they would just add the tips into the reservations, especially for the bus drivers and local guides. I really get tired of the guide saying "This is the last time we will see Petro..." hint, hint give him a tip. Which means you have to figure out how much you owe and which currency, etc. Just include it in the price.

Same with the guide - just charge more so people don't have to go through these debates of how much to give. Now, if the guide does something special, like a guide in India that went out of his way to locate a lost bag, things are different. But it's a pain to have to pay at the end for a service that is a part of the tour.

FORT WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA -- Gate 1 Travel is absolutely, positively the worst travel company for customer service. I booked an independent tour to Paris earlier this summer for my 70th Birthday. When we arrived at our hotel, the room was extremely warm. After dinner, upon returning to the room, the inside temperature was over 90 degrees. The Front Desk told me the air conditioning was not working. I asked for a fan and they gave me a space heater. I then decided to cancel the hotel reservation and leave the hotel prior to staying the first night. The hotel told me to contact
Gate 1 for a refund and was fully aware we did not stay one night at the property because of the extreme heat with no air conditioning. We booked and paid for another hotel for our entire stay in Paris. Upon our return I contacted Gate 1 and requested a refund. I got no response. I contacted the Better Business Bureau for help. I then contacted the Gate 1 Service Vice President. She refused to discuss my issue because I had contacted the Better Business Bureau. She was rude, insulting and refused to discuss the issue. I wrote a certified letter to the Gate 1 Senior Vice President who refused to issue a refund as she claimed the hotel denied we left the property! She reported the hotel claimed we stayed the entire time! She requested “Documentation to prove I did not stay at the hotel”. I sent her a copy of the bill from my alternative hotel. Upon receipt she refused the refund, again asking for “Documentation” before she would consider anything. Gate 1 Travel failed to meet their fiduciary responsibility as agent for this hotel. Traveling to a foreign country one expects some level of support from the travel agency that booked your complete trip. Gate 1 does not.

GEORGIA -- Gate 1 Travel is absolutely, positively the worst travel company for customer service. I booked an independent tour to Paris earlier this summer for my 70th Birthday. When we arrived at our hotel, the room was extremely warm. After dinner, upon returning to the room, the inside temperature was over 90 degrees. The Front Desk told me the air conditioning was not working. I asked for a fan and they gave me a space heater. I then decided to cancel the hotel reservation and leave the hotel prior to staying the first night. The hotel told me to contact
Gate 1 for a refund and was fully aware we did not stay one night at the property because of the extreme heat with no air conditioning. We booked and paid for another hotel for our entire stay in Paris. Upon our return I contacted Gate 1 and requested a refund. I got no response. I contacted the Better Business Bureau for help. I then contacted the Gat 1 Service Vice President. She refused to discuss my issue because I had contacted the Better Business Bureau. She was rude, insulting and refused to discuss the issue. I wrote a certified letter to the Gate 1 Senior Vice President who refused to issue a refund as she claimed the hotel denied we left the property! Sh reported the hotel claimed we stayed the entire time!.She requested “Documentation to prove I did not stay at the hotel”. I sent her a copy of the bill from my alternative hotel. Upon receipt she refused the refund, again asking for “Documentation” before she would consider anything. Gate 1 Travel failed to meet their fiduciary responsibility as agent for this hotel. Traveling to a foreign country one expects some level of support from the travel agency that booked your complete trip. Gate 1 does not.