Gate 1 TravelReviews of gate1travel.com

Gate1 VP claims check was sent on April 29. Check was not received.

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.

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.

Had to cancel trip to Italy because of Coronavirus. Spoke with Shannon Smith about getting a refund and was told over the phone the trip would be fully refunded except for a total of $600 in cancel flight fees. Moments after phone call received an invoice stating 100% cancellation fee and an amount well over $600.

Our trip in January 2020 to Myanmar did have many issues and bad experiences. After return we did contact Gate1 multiple times on the phone and e mails.No solution and respond.Be avare that Gate1 will not help you with any issue or problems after they get your money.This was very disappointing experience on our bucket list trip.

Very bad service. Long wait time on urgent mails due to coronavirus. very big costs on wait time on phone support. And advisors dont know anything about their own job. The customer service ended up costing us 100euro+ in fees. And their advice cost us 700 euro instead of helping us they made it worse. Plus our vacation is partly ruined. Never again.

We have traveled with Gate 1 travel on 5 exotic trips, India, Africa,Amazon, Peru, Croatia/ Europe and Costa Rica. 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 up front 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 and are so unprofessional. 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 black listed. Black listed! 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.

They charge you for everything and everywhere they can charge you. From a simple name change even if the fault was from their end, they will still try to charge you. So you better be checking everything you're paying for and make sure all info you gave them are correct. Or better yet, find another travel company to assist you.