Gate 1 Suspends Trips Through April 30th

[Vandyv]

I saw this on their Facebook page about an hour before getting the official e-mail.  We were supposed to be on their April 28th sailing, Regensburg to Budapest.  I commend them for putting their customers first!  Vandy and Crisi, Monument, Colorado

[NavyCruiser]

Yes, we've received Gate 1 Travel's email yesterday for our March 22 tulip time sailing:

 

We regret to inform you that your trip will not be operating as planned.  We have made this unprecedented decision due to the travel advisories and restrictions surrounding US and foreign government policies and multiple site closures worldwide.  This affects all Gate 1 Travel & Discovery Tours trips departing through Apr 30, 2020. No action is required at this time.  We are in the process of applying all land & cruise payments, and travel insurance if selected, as a future travel credit.  You have the flexibility to apply these funds towards new travel services booked within 18 months.  Reservations will be adjusted to reflect these travel credits automatically.  This process may take up to several weeks. Like Gate 1, airlines are responding to the same advisories and restrictions.  Airlines have generally waived change fees but not cancellation fees.  When tickets can be cancelled without fees, their value will be automatically added to your future credit.  Otherwise, your flight schedule will be cancelled and the value of your ticket will remain available to rebook per your specific airline's policies.  Typically, future travel must be on the originally booked carrier, travel must be completed within 12 months of the date that your original ticket was issued, and you will be responsible for any fare difference if applicable. Some airlines have extended their usual rebooking terms until the end of 2020. We urge you to check your airline's website for current change fees and rebooking options. If you prefer to cancel your ticket, we will issue a refund of the ticket value, less prevailing airline assessed fees. Current fees vary, with most approximately $300, and few up to fully non-refundable.  We ask that you submit the request to cancel your airline ticket using the Cancel Reservation option on our Contact Us page, and indicate “please cancel my unused airline tickets” in the Enter a Brief Summary section. We continue to experience high call volume and our phone lines exceed capacity during peak times.  We appreciate your patience while we work to assist all of our customers. Gate 1 Management

[Fanpower]

I am pleased Gate1 is keeping their clients informed. Our Danube trip is the end of May so we are still out 60 days plus.

We will take the "wait and see" as the date gets closer.😔

[NavyCruiser]

Just checked our account & it now says:

 

Date	Description			Quantity		Duration	Price	Total
Tue, 14 Sep 2021	Future Travel Credit - Valid for new Services Reserved by 14 Sep 2021			1	Credit		3,349.04	3,349.04
	Original airfare of 948.96. Future use subject to Delta Air Lines rules, typically new flights to be completed on same airline within 12 months of original date of ticket issue 12 Nov 2019. At time of rebooking, the airline may assess a Change Fee + difference in airfare.			1	Credit		948.96	948.96

 

Guess we'll call them in a few days to confirm the exacts dates that we need to rebook travels by & must travel by...

[Vandyv]

We rebooked the same river cruise for April 2021.  Easy to do via phone, very nice customer service.  We didn't book our air through Gate 1, so unless United relaxes their "use by" rules, we have to fly to/from somewhere by July 2020 or lose the funds.  Not a lot of time for things to resolve themselves.  Wishing everybody on these boards continue good health.   

[NavyCruiser]

Vandy,

So u used the future travel credit to rebook cruise only?

Did Gate 1 fully refund $ back for your United airfare? 

or u have to use that credit for future flights separately within the year thru United only?

[Vandyv]

Hi NavyCruiser.  I guess I should start off with Go Air Force, Beat Navy, but since we're all in the same boat (or is it a ship), I'll just try to answer your questions.  Gate 1 offered, as you know, to take the cancelled cruise credit and rebook within 18 months.  After coordinating with the couple we plan to travel with, we decided to do the same trip a year later.  We did not use Gate 1 air; we booked separately straight with United.  Since I (foolishly) bought non-refundable tickets, as I understand their rules, I can rebook with no penalty but must still fly within a year of original purchase, July 2019.  I have not yet talked to United...our flights are still a month away and I'm sure they're swamped at this point.  I can only hope United relaxes the one year time frame, since I doubt with our current situation we'll try to fly anywhere before July.  When we do air for next April I'll apply my lesson learned.  Everybody out there take care.   Vandy

[NavyCruiser]

Vandy,

Go Navy!

We called Gate 1 & tried to rebook on the exact same boat, exact same cabin, almost exactly same date (one day off, just one year later).  But now they said that it's $500 higher, even with the same discounts, same referral credits off.  At least the ocean cruise lines offers us the option of full 100% refund or 120 - 150% towards future credits.  So what's the use of Gate 1 giving us only 100% toward future travel credit, but if future pricing is $400 - $500 higher for the exact same sailing?  As this is our 10th trip with Gate 1, We're expecting them to at least rebook us on the exact same sailing a year without any additional cost.

We assume that KLM would rebook us on the same Houston to Amsterdam direct flights without penalties nor extra charges.

2 other couples from Hawaii traveling with are in the same boat, so to speak....

[Fanpower]

This week is 60 days from our Danube cruise but I am not hopeful we will travel. No news from Gate1 for May 2020.

Anyone receive cancellation notice for May?

[Fanpower]

Gate1 Today:

All trips suspended through June 30. Rebook within 18 months to travel by December 31, 2022.

 

Well there goes our May trip. I was expecting this notice but was still hopeful.