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Reviews 358
Anita Auerback
Feb 18,2023My previous review: I was formerly a big fan of Gate1 travel and always recommended them to friends and family. I have gone on 3 trips with them and was looking forward to many more. I was booked to go to India on February 22 and was very excited about the trip. I had paid in full but did not take any trip insurance. At the time I made my final payment, there were no health issues and I was ready to go. Unfortunately, on January 20, 2023, my previously healthy brother was diagnosed with melanoma and I had to cancel the trip as I am his primary caregiver. I did not want any money back - but rather was hoping I could just apply the amount I had paid to a future trip. Unfortunately, Gate1 was completely inflexible and told me I qualified for a refund of only 50%. I recognize that all of this could have been avoided had I taken out the insurance. But I honestly felt that the company could have bent the rules and helped me out, but that is not the case. Fortunately, there are lots of other travel companies and I will be taking my travel dollars and spending them elsewhere. In the short run, Gate1 may have saved less than $2,000 by not giving me a full refund or applying the funds to a future trip but they will lose at least $50,000 in potential revenue. I will note that the person I spoke with on the phone was very sympathetic, but ultimately it made no difference. I am very disappointed in what I previously thought was a great company. Instead of singing their praises, I will make sure to tell people NOT to use them. Update: The Gate1 people did in fact, call me and rectified the situation. By that time I had received the refund for 50% of the trip. The person I spoke to reviewed my account and saw that I had been a loyal customer and agreed to apply the remaining portion to a future trip, so I am not out of pocket. I felt it was important to provide the follow-up here and tell the whole story. Looking forward to travelling with Gate1 again!
Hong Su
Feb 04,2023We bought an insurance from the Gate 1 Travel for the Egypt trip, Dec. 8 -20, 2022. Due to missed a flight (both Gate 1 wrong info, and us did not know the changes), it costed us more than $800 additional, but the Arch Insurance denied all the claims. We know that now, never to buy any insurance through or from Gate 1 travel.
Linda
Feb 04,2023Not worth the discount! Don’t make electronic payments from your checking account. Gate 1 duplicated a $500 payment for a total of $1,000 out of my checking account. I’ve emailed via their “contact us” format and received no reply. Talked with more than one Gate1 representative via telephone. It will take a minimum of 2 weeks for them to return the money (if they follow through). February 6, Gate 1’s reply to this review are the exact ways I’ve reached out. Not sure why using the “contact us” link for a third time, or telephoning the number for a third time will improve their response.
Carol A
Jan 31,202312 Day Golden Triangle India with Nepal trip Sep-Oct 2022. Absolutely fabulous trip. Considering all that's changed since COVID, this company provided us the trip of a lifetime. Dehli was crowded but I never felt unsafe, Jaipur was lovely and Agra was amazing. Nepal weather hindered seeing some of the sights but Gate 1's guides made the best of it for us.
Michele Karl
Jan 27,2023We loved it! We did a tour of Thailand and had a wonderful time. The hotels for first class our guide was wonderful and we had a great experience. We are taking our second tour with them next month to Morocco. I noticed a lot of negative reviews, but I have to say we had a wonderful time and had no issues. Somebody was there to meet us at the airport on arrival and everything went very smoothly.
Chuck Lenatti
Jan 20,2023Three weeks before we were scheduled to depart for Israel (January 11, 2023), I suffered a heart attack. Gate1 reimbursed me 10 cents on the dollar. My wife and I were out more than $4,000. No reasonable reimbursement, no empathy, nothing. The group I was to travel with had taken multiple tours with Gate!. Never again. They have all vowed share my story with any traveler they meet. I will seek out every possible forum to share with as many people I can warn away from this dreadful, insensitive company. Thanks for nothing
Nancy B
Jan 19,2023Booked Christmas market trip for early Dec. Bought ‘Travel Protection’ that Gate 1 promotes. My travel partner needed a heart operation. Had to cancel trip. We’ve waited two months after providing info requested with letter from surgeon. Today they say coverage denied because she had defib prior. Of course the Protection was stated as covering pre-existing conditions!!!!!! Total rip-off. Deceptive scam artists. VERY disgusted!!!
customer
Jan 19,2023Good luck trying to get someone to answer the phone. Have spent seven hours today on hold. If I don’t make a change today I loose my deposit. Also when booking I was not told that airfare could increase if not paid in full at time of booking. Got a call that flight went up over $4k. Ridiculous !!! Also they do not honor referral credit like they say. I’ve referred three people now. Won’t be doing that anymore!
Nev Gill
Jan 19,2023On an upcoming trip to Budapest and Prague, I received a notification from Delta that my reservation had changed. Mysteriously our return leg from Prague to Paris had disappeared. Delta would not speak to me since I had booked through Gate1. Gate1 offered an option that would raise my package price by 25%! Their response, read the terms of travel. They never booked the flights. Here’s my question, if the flight price had gone down would they refund me the decrease? Silly question, of course not. Heads I win tails you lose. After a lengthy discussion, I paid an extra $100 to rebook. Agent was patronizing and talking down to me. I have booked 3 trips through them in the past, this is the last one. Unfair and deceptive trade practices.
M Sullivan
Jan 18,2023I completely paid for my trip and received a confirmation number. The next week, Gate 1 informed me that I owed over $1200 more for my trip. Obviously, Gate 1 does not honor their obligations. I have traveled with them in the past but will SERIOUSLY think twice or thrice before I book another trip with them.
thomas reichert
Jan 18,2023Trip to India departing in less than four weeks. Received notification of changed flight. I booked a specific nonstop flight departing from a different city than where I live for the convenience of a nonstop flight. Since a nonstop flight was no longer available, requested a change of departure city from where I live. Of course that requires an additional payment. So when Gate 1 make an unrequested change: too bad so sad. When I request a change: too bad pay more. I paid for a nonstop flight that I am not receiving. You would think that Gate 1 and the airlines would do anything possible to accommodate the customer without additional charges. Lesson learned: Do not book flights thru Gate 1. This is the second trip where Gate 1 tried to levy additional charges for changes made by the airlines. Not customer friendly.
Bill Hartzog
Jan 16,2023OUR TRAVEL MANAGER WAS THE GREATEST. HE WAS SO INTERESTING AND PAID SUCH CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR COMFORT AND SAFETY. ALL OF OUR ACCOMMIDATIONS WERE FANTASTIC. THE BUS DRIVER WAS AMAZING AND THE PORTER SO HELPFUL. I AM DISABLED AND HE WAS SO GOOD TO ME. THE STAFF AT THE HOTELS WERE SO FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. TRUE HOSPITALITY!!
Alexa
Jan 15,2023I actually planned to come here and give a 4-5 star review. Went to Italy/Paris with Gate 1 a few years back and loved it. However I’m going back to rebook I see they are requiring vaccination when countries and other companies are not. That’s ridiculous discrimination. I’ll take all my future travel elsewhere.
Arnel Krevosky
Jan 12,2023Did an Iceland trip. They never sent me vouchers for any of it. I Paid for a airport to hotel transfer and they were not there because my name never got out through, although I had already paid. Had to pay someone to get to my hotel. Then I did not have the blue lagoon voucher I paid for. When I called gate1 they transferred me to the local tour guides and they just said we have no information on you, gate 1 is the one with your money. It was a miserable and long experience that bled too much into my vacation.
Rimma Kopyt
Jan 04,2023GATE1 customer service is TERRIBLE. Everyone should be aware that if you buy travel insurance on Gate1 site, they do not charge you for the coverage immediately, but place it as a charge on your final bill. So, for a while you are NOT insured, and if something goes wrong before your final charge, you lose your money.
Eileen
Dec 24,2022We have been on 14 Gate1 tours to date…with 3 more booked. They are an excellent tour company and their itineraries are interesting and well organized and the tour directors excellent. We only had one complaint about a tour director…after Covid. We would recommend them highly.
Rachel Lewis
Dec 20,2022Tour Manager Beatrice Jakubowski If God designs tour managers, Beatrice Jakubowski is His masterpiece. Or one of His elites. She weaves her organized, efficient, on-top-of-things, profound historicity & current statistics knowledge skills into her great sense of natural charm & humor. Translates history and current events with some hilarity that kills travel fatigue. Skilled in calming stressed tourists w/ perma-pressed smile. Amazing polyglot, she excites long rides with a new language teach-in daily with appropriate accents! Daily acknowledges driver as part of tour team. Patient, genuinely kind, beautiful mind, character, beautiful person. Gate 1 is very blessed to have Beatrice put a 5 star on travel. Love our Christmas Markets Switzerland - France Dec 4-11 tour. Too short!
Dianna Eiken
Dec 10,2022We just got back from our first tour with Gate 1 and I can honestly say we have absolutely NO COMPLAINTS whatsoever!! From booking to our travel paperwork, to every tiny detail, it was a wonderful experience! We went to Italy, started In Venice and a gate 1 representative met us at the airport to get us to our water taxi to take us to our hotel. Our tour guide, Ana, was waiting at our hotel for us as we arrived. She was amazing, well organized, and gave very good instructions, and tips as we traveled with our group! She is very knowledgeable about her country and you can really tell that she loves Italy and is proud to share it with her groups! We had a great group and by the time our trip was over, we had all become friends. Every one of the local guides we had in Venice, Florence, Rome, Pompeii, Assisi and Almafi was fabulous as well. The hotels were all very nice for a “value” trip. We were not expecting them to be so nice, but they were nicer than any hotels we have ever stayed in. Having the bus, the driver, being dropped off at the front door of your hotel and at all our tours/excursions, Ana pre-checking us in and handing our our keys when we arrived at a new location, your luggage magically showing up at your hotel room— it was a dream. They thought of everything, down to a box breakfast on our last day, to take in the car on our trip to the Naples airport because we had to leave before breakfast was served at our Sorrento hotel! Ana was in the lobby waiting for every person in our group on our last day to see us off to the airport regardless of how early we needed to leave. She made sure we had our boxed breakfast and explained where we needed to go to get to the check in area for our airline at the airport. She was a blast! Many of the people in our group had taken SEVERAL gate 1 tours and were pleased with every experience. The prices are very reasonable and you get to see a ton of stuff, but yet still had some free time to yourself to explore on your own. This was an amazing experience and I still don’t know how they manage to do it so well without missing the tiniest detail. We are already looking for our next trip to book with them! Don and Dianna
B Valenta
Dec 08,2022Our experience with Gate 1 Travel was NOT positive. We booked our trip and flights about a year ahead to get the best pricing. When the airline canceled one leg of our trip about 6 months prior, Gate 1 basically said it was our problem and cancelled all our flights. We had to rebook through the airline itself through different cities, and as you might imagine, the flights were significantly more expensive by that point. Then because our flight was no longer with them, Gate 1 said we had to pay an additional $40 per person for airport transfers. I talked to Customer Service several times. You could tell they were reading from a script and were of absolutely no help. I would NOT book another trip through Gate 1.
Maryland Drive 455, 19034, Fort Washington, US
http://gate1travel.com
Erick Barron
Feb 18,2023No dice! Plan for a year this trip for our honeymoon after we got married. And big part of if was ruined by gate1. 3 weeks before our departed date they change our flights, we paid extra to have direct flight to our destination. Now we had terrible layovers in LAX, and they cut day short by one day so we missed the activities of the last day. Our guide was very nice and kind and we even had a corporate member or gate1 on our trip but. They told us to call the customer support number. And we called three times each time being told we had to pay extra for any changes, but that we had to accept the changes they had done without our approval. Very upset and don’t see us doing a trip again with them. Ended up going online and doing my own tickets. Back home. All I can say is they stressed my out and really frustrated me on my honeymoon, did not need this. The tour guide are very nice but the customer support, and and reservations. Leave a lot to be desired.