Rebecca Garland
Rebecca Garland
Business and Education Expert

Gate 1 Travel offers customers travel packages to locations across the globe. The company specializes in smaller group tours with a focus on personalized services. Their mission, as stated on the official website, is to offer customers "more of the world for less.”

Consumer issues are inevitable in travel, and customers have left feedback about their experiences with Gate 1 Travel. Wondering what to expect from the travel company? We delved into customer reviews left on our platform to find the answers.

gate 1 travel logo

Number of Gate 1 Travel reviews – 440

Gate 1 Travel rating* – 2.8 ⭐⭐⭐

Claimed losses – $175K

Successful calls – 12%/279 

Resolved issues – 3

Key Insights

  • The majority of PissedConsumer users, 91%, prefer to contact Gate 1 Travel by phone, while only 9% write emails. The wait times are the most extended on Tuesday and the shortest on Saturday. 
  • The best email to reach Gate1Travel is privacy@gate1travel.com. 62% of customers use this email address to communicate their issues and concerns.
  • The Gate 1 cancellation policy states that cancellations must be made in writing and that different cancellation fee levels apply based on specific trip destinations or instant purchase arrangements.

Is Gate 1 Any Good?

In case you are wondering who owns Gate 1 Travel, the company was founded over 40 years ago by Dani Pipano, a former tour guide. He continues to lead the company up to now.

So, is Gate 1 Travel legit? The travel company is legitimate and has a long history in the travel sector. While the company is well-established, customer opinions of Gate 1 Travel vary based on customer experiences and expectations.

The information about gate1travel left on PissedConsumer.com through customer reviews gave the company 2.8 stars out of 5. Approximately half of the reviews are negative. Out of the 279 calls made to the company, 12% of customer issues were resolved, with clients spending an average of about 3 minutes on the phone.

Customers praised the variety of locations and the prices for their travel. However, some expressed frustration with Gate 1 Travel customer service. Customers also had issues with the company’s refund and cancellation policies.

While many consumers commend the individual tour guides, not all are satisfied. One Gate 1 Travel complain on PissedConsumer claimed that their guide “was rude and lacked diplomacy with us and several other travelers.” The reviewer also noted that the guide

rambled endlessly throughout the entire duration of bus travel about politics and religion” but only “occasionally mentioned a local feature too late for us to take a photo of the attraction.

How Do I Contact Gate 1 Travel Customer Service?

If you are looking for the Gate 1 Travel customer service number, you don’t need to look very far on the company’s website. The Gate 1 Travel contact number is at the top of every page. The Gate 1 travel customer service number for the USA and Canada is 1-215-572-7676. You can also use 1-800-682-3333 to address your issues. 

You can find more in-depth information, including Gate 1 Travel customer service hours,on the Contact Us page on the company’s website.

Contact Gate 1 Travel Customer serviceSource: Gate 1 Travel Contact Us 

According to Gate1Travel contact information, you can reach the company 24/7 by calling 1-800-682-3333 or 1-215-572-7676. It is noted on the page; however, that the Gate 1 Travel travel hours for reservations are more limited. You can also call from overseas using 001-215-572-7676. The Contact Us page also has a contact form for questions and concerns through email as well as a mailing address for payments and written concerns. The Gate1Travel address is:

Gate 1 Travel
455 Maryland Drive
Fort Washington, PA 19034

The Contact Us page also has information about how to get answers about travel insurance, which can help resolve many Gate 1 Travel complaints, as one would-be traveler discovered.

Among the Gate 1 Travel reviews, in #5113564, one customer complained that they had recently “had an accident where I can't walk and waiting surgery.” When they called Gate 1 customer service, they were told the company “will not do anything for me.” The customer noted they “did not have insurance” and are “now out 6K.”

How Do I Book a gate1travel.com Tour?

Gate 1 Travel attempts to make the booking process streamlined by offering a series of steps on the Contact Us page of the company website.

Book Gate 1 TravelSource: Gate 1 Travel Contact Us 

According to the company’s website, booking a trip with Gate 1 Travel is done through an online reservation system. To book a trip you will:

  1. Choose where you want to travel using the menus across the top of the website.
  2. After you choose a departure date, you will be able to see the prices of the various tours and select the right one for your needs.
  3. Fill out the necessary fields to book the trip. These fields include the number of people traveling, the departure city and the number of hotel rooms you’ll need.
  4. After booking the main part of your trip, you will be taken through additional menus to book any optional tours you might like, airline flights you might need, any travel insurance, and final details.
  5. You will be given an opportunity to use promotional code at the end of the reservation process before you finalize the trip.

How Large Are Groups on www.gate1travel.com Tours?

According to the website, there are two tiers of travel with Gate 1 Travel tours. There is a typical travel group and then there are small group, or Discovery Tours. It is noted on the About Us page that escorted coach Gate 1 Tours has “groups of no more than forty-two travelers.” Gate 1 Travel special deals likely include these larger groups.

Discovery Tours are smaller group packages that include Gate1Travel flights and guides on a smaller scale. The Gate 1 website notes that the small groups are “no more than 22.” Gate 1 Travel reviews indicate smaller groups for travel are preferable, but travelers can expect higher prices.

Does Gate 1 Have Solo Trips?

Gate 1 Tours are primarily offered in larger or smaller groups. There are options, however, for Gate 1 solo travel. Some packages include Gate1Travel flights and accommodations for independent or partially escorted travelers.

Some Gate 1 Travel tours include solo options without a guide or a partially escorted option that includes independent time in some destinations. The special deals advertised on the website do not appear to include solo travel. Most Gate 1 Travel reviews also mention traveling in groups through the company rather than as an individual or family.

What Is the Gate 1 Travel Cancellation Policy?

In the Terms and Conditions page of the Gate 1 Travel website, there are details about the Gate 1 Travel cancellation policy.

Gate 1 Travel cancellation policySource: Gate 1 Travel Terms and Services 

The Gate 1 cancellation policy states that cancellation can only be accepted in writing. You can do this by using the contact form on the Contact Us page for Gate 1 Travel customer serviceand selecting “Cancel Reservation” in the first menu box.

Gate 1 Travel online formSource: Gate 1 Travel Contact Us 

Your message should be acknowledged as received within 48 hours. If you do not receive a message, it is the customer’s obligation to call 800-682-3333 to follow-up on your message.

The Terms and Condition page of the website is clear that there are cancellation fees when you cancel a reservation. Airline tickets included in the package are “always subject to a 100% penalty” and you will not be refunded the initial non-refundable deposit.

According to the Gate 1 Travel Cancellation policy, if you cancel more than 91 days before your trip you will pay a $300 cancellation fee per person. If you cancel more than 31 days out, you will pay 50% of the total trip cost as a cancellation fee. More than 2 days out you will pay 90% of the trip cost as a cancellation fee. The day before or the day of will incur a 100% cancellation fee.

There are different cancellation fee levels for different specific trip destinations or for instant purchase arrangements.

Gate 1 Travel cancellation feesSource: Gate 1 Travel Terms and Services

There is an option provided by Gate 1 Travel that allows you to cancel your trip up to 72 hours in advance for any reason. According to the travel protection page, the cost for this protection ranges from $109-$1399 depending on the cost of your total trip.

If you do wind up using this policy, you will be given a credit for the “full cost of your Gate 1 travel arrangements, less the cost of the deposit, late/amendment fees, and insurance premium cost.” These certificates must be used within one year of the original date of travel.

Gate 1 Travel cancellationSource: Gate 1 Travel Protection

In the Gateway Travel reviews, One Gate 1 travel customer purchased the Cancel for Any Reason Supplement but was refused when he attempted to use it. In Gate 1 Travel review #1342691, the customer explained: “I bought insurance that the rep said would cover irrespective of the reason for cancellation.” The person ends the review with one word: “refused”.

Gate 1 Travel encourages customers to purchase travel insurance to help offset any potential cancellations and resulting fees. The Gate 1 Travel site has a page dedicated to questions and information about travel protection plans. Among the Gate 1 Travel complaints, another Gate 1 Travel complaint states that a customer feels

…that they actually make money by trying to sell you tons of various insurances of all kinds to protect you against jokes like them. I guess if you don't buy insurance, they cancel you out if your ticket was too cheap…

The customer left details in their review that

Gate1 cancelled my flight 3 days after I booked it. I had a very cheap price, and they emailed saying that they were sorry but their system is faulty and the price wasn't correct…

What Is the Gate1Travel.com Refund Policy?

The Gate 1 Travel refund policy is not well detailed in a single location in the Terms and Conditions of the company’s website. According to the specified section, the Gate 1 Travel refund policy is to process refunds to the original credit card with any remaining balance to be paid by check.

The Gate 1 Travel refund policy declaration is located immediately beside the company’s cancellation policy; however, which has more information about how much money you will see refunded if you cancel your trip.

According to the Gate 1 travel cancellation policy, you can expect to be refunded at most all but $300 of your trip payment if you cancel more than 91 days before your trip. Shorter cancellation windows result in rapidly accelerated cancellation fees.

The Gate 1 travel cancellation and refund policy have left many customers wondering about their options with refunds. Among the Gate 1 Travel complaints, the person stated that they

had to cancel a trip due to unforseen circumstances-- yet Gate 1 could not help me with my $1200 deposit and shuffled me over to the insurance company to deal with them. Note this is 4 months before the trip…

The PissedConsumer.com user ended their brief Gate 1 Travel customer review by stating, “…I have no confidence I'll get even part of the deposit back.”

Getting Help with Gate 1 Travel

The customer experience with a company like Gate 1 Travel will vary depending on the individual factors of your travel plans and location. Every trip includes unexpected consumer issues, and you want to be sure you can get help when troubles arise.

Need help with Gate 1 Travel? You can contact Gate 1 Travel customer service by calling their phone numbers or through their email form. You can also read Gate 1 Travel feedback or write a review to join the conversation and get help from the PissedConsumer.com community.

*Disclaimer: Ranking and statistics are based on our users’ review texts and Pissed Consumer posters’ reviews. Also, a company’s rating is calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the profile, including users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company’s responses, etc. The algorithm is subject to change in the future.

 

Legal disclaimers:

  1. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide any legal, medical, accounting, investment or any other professional advice as individual cases may vary and should be discussed with a corresponding expert and/or an attorney.
  2. All or some image copyright belongs to the original owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Leave a Reply