"Lies and hiding"

First know that I have waited close to a year before writing this review to make sure it is written with a clear mind and not just out of emotion.

We had only travelled outside the country one other time to adopt and everything was handled by the agency so we did not know what it entailed and I relied on Gate One Travel for assistance. BIG MISTAKE!

It was early June when I first contacted them to make arrangements potentially for a trip later in August. My major concern was getting things prepared and getting visas on time. The lady I first spoke to put me on hold to check if this was possible. She came back on the phone and informed me it only takes a few weeks for a visa, recommended they like to use Gen Visa, and we would be fine. She then asked If I would like to purchase additional insurance just in case something happened and we were notable to make the flight. I agreed to the insurance, paid the $600 cost to start and informed I could pay the rest to help keep things moving along.

I paid the additional money and then everything fell apart. When months later I spoke with another person I was told that they don't have anyone at the company they could checks visa times with so the first lady flat out put me on hold and then lied to me.

I also later found out after losing over $4000 that the insurance I was given was a third party insurance that covers illness. Believe me, the day the plane left without us I was very sick to my stomach and dealing with dangerously high blood pressure from being out all that money. I later found out that they have a different insurance through their company which they quote as a Travel Protection Plan-Cancel For any Reason for only $69.00.

Also found out too late that you get a discount if you take the time to mail them a check rather than paying immediately by credit card. Once you pay in full you are locked in and CANNOT cancel or make any changes.

I do not know why the visa place they recommended (Gen Visa) as having no problems with the timeframe took nine weeks to process visas when I hear it is usually significantly shorter. We were notified the day after the flight departed that the visas were ready.

My complaint with Gate One Travel is 1) Why did a service representative put me on hold then lie to me when they have no way to check on visa times. I could have easily scheduled the trip at any time later as necessary if not lied to. 2) Why knowing my only concern, was I offered a worthless more expensive third party insurance when their Travel Protection Plan-Cancel For Any Reason was cheaper and covers what was my original main concern? 3) Why was I not informed that since I have such concerns I should NOT pay in full thus locking out any potential ability to change?

I could better handle having to absorbed a $600 starting cost, changed dates and still letting my adopted daughter see where she came from and learn about her culture. On advice from a Gate One representative I am now out over $4000 and it will probably be another decade before saving enough money to attempt this trip again for my daughter.

All this because Gate One seems to only be concerned about getting the money, lying and not actually caring for the customers. I also did not appreciate when they contacted me to say since I missed the flight they were giving up the rest of the trip reservations and was their anything else they could help me book for any other travel destinations. Talk about adding insult to injury.

"Cancelled a trip to Vietnam in late…"

Cancelled a trip to Vietnam in late January 2020 due to the Corona Virus and our senior age. Front line Customer Service stated that they would charge $200 pp to cancel and we had 3 weeks to re-book. I requested to speak with a Manager and after discussing with him the right / wrong business model, he waive the charges but the only trip available in 2021 was double the cost. I have tried to re-book a trip that we would like to take but no re-bookings allowed until airlines start flying to different countries. We have enjoyed multiple trips with Gate 1 in the past but are hesitant to book any future travel with them due to their cancellation policies.

"PIease Gate 1 let us Rebook."

I have traveled with Gate1 before and have always been pleased. My friends and I booked a Tulip Time cruise departing April 25th. It was cancelled of course and we were told if we rebooked we would get a 100% credit which we have on our account. The problem is they will not allow us to rebook for next year yet, while new bookings are allowed not rebooks. Gate 1 has a special right now that saves $800. a person but expires April 30th. I'm afraid the special will be over when we get to book. When the trip was cancelled we lost the credit promotions from last year. I feel we are being treated unfairly and should have been given priority in booking.

"I just came back early from a tour of…"

Got a $500 Boucher for future travel and $238 from the airline back.

"Please stay away!"

Please stay away! Gate one are con artists with no compassion and poor customer service. Would not even give a credit for future travel nor speak by phone to resolve matter. Stole money from me during Corona virus pandemic due totheir own greed.

"Wonderful Portugal tour, yeah Berta and Gate 1!"

4 of us recently took a tour to portugal and loved it. Gate1 accomadations were very nice and the tour guide,Berta, was wonderful. She was so knowledgeable and gave us a fantastic tour. Gate1 also helped us make arrangements to stay an additional 2 days. I am planning a family trip to portugal and Spain next year and I will not consider using any other travel system other than Gate1. They are wonderful and I'm hoping to get Berta as a guide again. She made the tour fun and she was fabulous.

"I was scheduled to depart on a 16-day…"

I was scheduled to depart on a 16-day Thailand trip on April 16th 2020 and my trip was affected by the Corona virus and canceled. I received my credit so that I can rebook the trip, but the promotional coupon that we used to book our trip that saved us $360 each is not valid now. I feel like it is unfair that the promotional credit that we used to initially book the trip is no longer available to us since we did not voluntarily cancel this trip. Now we have a credit for a trip that we can take on next year that we will have to end up paying more for if we can't find another promo code to use. We are risking not having the date available that we need by waiting to look for a discount code. on top of it not being fair that we are forced to use a credit and not able to receive a refund, I feel like the company is squeezing more money out of us than necessary because all of the bookings are more expensive now than they were before. I would really appreciate it if someone would understand that thousands of guests are going to have the same problem and issue us all of the credits that we use to book the trip so that we can rebook at the same rate.

"7 day PERU/Lima/Cusco Machu Picchu"

7 day PERU/Lima/Cusco Machu Picchu:

I recently returned from a trip to Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu with my stepmom. I'm 31 and my stepmom is 56. My dad purchased this "girls trip" for us as a gift. I had not done group travel before this trip, let alone a group travel of ages ranging from my age to older than my stepmom's. I truly have no words to describe the enjoyment, genuine and exploratory week we had with Americo Romaineville in Peru. He is an excellent example of the education and sincerity that goes into your trip's, and a great example of the strong character of the Peruvian people. Every detail of our trip was organized down to the "t," and my stepmom and I, being two solo female travelers, truly never felt worried about a thing, or that any loose end was missing. The mixture of experiences we had throughout the week, from learning about the Incan culture, exploring and listening to the mysteries of Machu Picchu and Saqsayhuman, and listening to Americo's "behind the scenes" and genuine stories, history and facts about the country and region left me in awe. I started this post saying I was 31 and had never done group travel before because I was a believer that "doing it alone" was best. I enjoyed doing all of my homework and putting the pieces of my trips together myself in the past. However after this trip I can firmly say, if every guide is like Americo Romaineville, group travel is the way to go. I learned history and context of Peru that would have been impossible on my own, and made a true "second family" I will remember forever. On the last night together, a member in our group gave a speech thanking Americo for everything he did for us. From juggling a large group with varying personalities, to making sure every detail was taken care of, he stopped at nothing, and made our experience in Peru one I will hold dearly in my heart forever. Thank you Americo and Gate 1 Travel!

"Gate 1 Not Answering Phones or Returning Emails"

My family members have 2 reservations with Gate 1 for travel to Amsterdam 4/9/2020. (Reservation 1778272 and 1766596). Gate 1 has said would allow rebooking and airlines (United and Delta) have said no charge for change fees for this date. 4 of us have sent numerous emails to the site specified during this difficult Coronavirus period. There has been no response to date. The phone numbers provided ring for 2 minutes and do an auto cutoff. There appears to be no way to get them to respond. I have been on prior Gate 1 trips without issue. I understand this is a difficult time, but it’s unreasonable not to be able to discuss situation and confirm rebooking over 4 days.

"Great experience with Gate 1 Travel!!"

I find that a lot of people use the power of social media when they have an axe to grind, more so than when they actually have a positive experience. After having read the other reviews, I would have to disagree with most of them.

My husband and I and two of our friends recently returned from a trip to Morocco. We generally do not do guided tours, but when we saw the deal Gate 1 Travel was offering, we pounced on it. I will say, however, we were a little skeptical going through a travel agency we've never used before, but what's life without a little risk?

I found the booking process to be simple and straight forward. They are upfront about what they are responsible for, what they are not, and what you are responsible for. I read the disclaimers front and back and they were very thorough. They mention that they are not responsible for any flight changes (as the airlines operate independently), what type of transportation they will use (and if you bother to look at a map, you should know approximately how long it will take to get from one point to another if you're going to multiple cities), etc.

Like I mentioned earlier, we had a great experience. A representative met us at the airport on time, the drive to the first city (meeting point) was smooth and uneventful, and the hotel was as promised. There, we met the other travelers and our tour guide at the orientation. Throughout our 13-day, 6 city tour, our tour manager (Ben), proved to be top-notch. He was very knowledgeable, personable, protective, and you could tell from the get-go that he was passionate about his job and he also loved his country. Ben made an impression on us and he had a direct impact on our experience in Morocco. We cannot say enough good things about Ben!

As for the other aspects of the trip (lodging, transportation, etc.), Gate 1 Travel delivered everything they promised. We stayed at the hotels that were on the itinerary, all the meals listed were served, and the tour bus was clean and comfortable. We all felt we got our bang for the buck and then some! We would definitely travel with Gate 1 in a heartbeat.