13 Jan, 2019 → by ClaimboUser59014
Resolved: Scammed with insurance

4

Update by user Feb 14, 2019 I got in touch with the VP of the call center and he made everything right and we are going to Iceland in March. Original review posted by user Jan 13, 2019 Buyer beware!! We took one trip with Gate 1 to Morocco and were very pleased. We took the change for any reason insurance and didn't have to use it, fortunately. So my spouse booked a 6 day trip to Iceland for a surprise for Christmas (very thoughtful). Again buying the cancel (which is really change) for any reason insurance. The agent, David Walton assured us that meant what it said, rebook and not lose any money, just change fees. We wanted to rebook to change to the 9 day tour instead, and/or arrive a day early. We were told no problem until the travel agent called their air department and found out the Jet Blue flight they booked us on had no changes, not even with a change fee which is normally $150 per person on Jet Blue. So we would lose $1,500. Not only that, if we use our cancel for any reason we can save the airfare, but lose our land deposit (almost $1,000 with insurances, rebook fees etc.) and we could only rebook the exact same flights and not change departure city (which for us would be San Diego, not Los Angeles. At the time, David Walton told my spouse it would be prohibitively expensive to fly out of San Diego instead of Los Angeles. After researching Jet Blue fare, it was just around $100 difference which would have been just fine. And that would be with Jet Blue and ability to change itinerary for $150 per person and fare difference). So lesson learned. We now have to pay the balance on the trip of $2,400 or lose everything, go on flights we really didn't want in the first place (the incompetent "travel agent" gave us flights that arrive at 6 am in Reykjavik and 2 AM in LA without any other suggestions or travel out of San Diego instead of LA), too short a time to enjoy the trip or lose the initial deposit of $2,200, lose $1,500 in airfares, lose $1,000 for trip deposit and change to later still to fly out of LA instead of San Diego. Scam? Incompetence? I don't know which. Either way we are very dissatisfied. Here's the disclaimer on the airfare as is on their website: The optional Cancel For Any Reason Waiver, which may only be purchased in addition to Travel Protection, allows you to cancel your tour up to 72 hours before your scheduled departure for any reason and receive a credit equal to the full cost of your travel arrangements, less the cost of deposit(s), late/amendment fees, and insurance premium cost. Who in their right mind would expect that the penalty for airfare change would be 100%? When you talk to the agents, they say anywhere from $100 to $300 per person. The reason I booked through an agency was to have someone guide us through the various things to be aware of when traveling to these destinations and give advice. Not to have the agent misrepresent the the change for any reason as "no problem!" When I spoke to a supervisor, Jayne, although somewhat sympathetic, the best she could offer was to waive the $50 fee to change which trip we were taking and said, and paraphrase, your spouse should have read the passenger agreement. It's in the first two pages. Not!! In this case, late/amendment fees are 100% loss? I'm going to search for any other people who have had an issue with Gate 1 and see if there are any lawsuits I can join. I've dealt with travel agents before and never have I been deceived like this.
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