@190: I have been to 4 countries with Go Ahead. I know my trips did not start at 6am. As I recall, they started more like 9, as you are given time for breakfast on most days, if not all.

This company is a total scam operation - do not give them a PENNY. they over 115 complaints on the Better Business Bureau in just the last 3 months! They take you deposit and then you never hear from them again.

Did you use them, Kir? Even with all those complaints at BBB and here? Do you think someone will notice your warning with no details, and act accordingly?

The only good thing I can see about the BBB is that it provides another way to check the reputation of a company. But that isn't much use to those who only go there after they have handed over their money.

I don't know if that's the case with you, Kir, but it's all too common.

>>they over 115 complaints on the Better Business Bureau in just the last 3 months! <<

Maybe so, but I had a look and the thing with the majority of those complaints, the company answered most of them and resolved a majority of them. In addition to using BBB as a tool for company's reputation, one can also view it (sometimes) that they can be a consumer advocate to press a company on communications (or lack). But none of that is valuable unless the consumer does the research upfront and sees the comments, complaints, etc. I want to better understand how a person can hand over a bunch of their hard-earned money to someone they don't even do basic research on?

I agree! The worst travel experience ever. Even their rep "Margaret" said it was the worst she had heard of. Our group of 9 travelers has been waiting over two (2) months for even a confirmation from their Travel Insurance Group "Seven Corners" that we will or will not receive refunds for our out-of-pocket expenses.

We were stranded in Venice when Air Canada decided to cancel many of their flights the morning of our planned departure and blame it on COVID. This was also the 4th of July weekend when a flight monitoring computer system went down causing additional delays and cancellations. We placed several calls to EF Go-Ahead Tours and received absolutely no support or assistance whatsoever. We were told to work something out with an airline.

Because of the canceled/delayed and missed flights, our path home was for each of us to spend $2,983 on airline tickets. We did so only to be stuck in the Amsterdam airport for 22 hours along with numerous other travelers. (as a side note, this is where 5 of us got COVID).

Even though we purchased the "Basic Trip Protection" and the additional "AnyReason Protection", we are still getting a major runaround from GAT and Seven Corners. GAT just deflects everything to Seven Corners and states that they are overwhelmed with claims and this is their "busy season".

Although this was a second trip with GAT, we will not schedule another one unless this is quickly resolved. I would also caution other travelers about Air Canada. They currently have many issues and are known to cancel flights in advance and then use the "COVID" free pass. Additionally, one of our couples did not receive their luggage until one day before coming home.

This said, Italy was absolutely amazing! I will go back but probably not with GAT.

JGaffney2014 : It's not fun to continue to read stories of traveler mishaps, but like it or not, the fact is that most of your grievances are covered in the Terms & Conditions of your agreement with GAT (see below).

https://www.goaheadtours.com/about/terms

For example - Flight delays & cancellations

GAT cannot be held responsible for any flight delays or cancellations caused by reasons beyond GAT's control including, but not limited to, weather, mechanical issues, or personnel strike. In the event of a flight delay, you must work directly with the airline to be rebooked. Once your new flight is confirmed, you must then notify GAT with your new arrival time. If you are arriving later than your original scheduled flight, you may not be met by a GAT representative at the airport. In this case, you will need to arrange your own transportation from the airport to your hotel. If you booked your flights or bought a transfer service through GAT, you are entitled to a $25 reimbursement for the transfer missed due to flight delay. Persons missing tour portions or components (including, but not limited to, meals, excursions, or sightseeing tours) due to flight delays or cancellations will not be refunded by GAT or be eligible for a change of return date.

I have no skin in the game here. I am not a tour person. But witnessing all the issues post-COVID, the industry is still a mess. And because of that, these days I book all my trips directly with the provider and not through a 3rd party, package deal, or tour.

GAT's customer service has been horrible. No one with GAT even wanted to talk with us when we initially had no way out of Venice. It's pretty clear from reading other reviews that we are not alone in our major disappointment with GAT/Go Ahead Tours/EF Tours/Seven Corners. Our group felt abandoned.

Tripadvisor staff removed this post at the original author's request.

JGaffney, I believe whaleshark is correct that the airline should help any and all passengers who have had their flights cancelled. They have a duty of care and it's not really realistic as far as I'm concerned to expect a tour company to be able to sort anything out, especially at the last minute.

Furthermore, having decided to buy new tickets to get home, I think you will have difficulty in getting other than a small refund for the cancelled flight at best, since the carrier will likely deduct the cost of a one way ticket on that date from whatever amount that was paid.

It's a sad tale to be sure, and I understand the frustration that is felt by anyone who has a flight cancelled. Sadly, there are many who have been in this kind of situation this year. That is probably why there is a delay with the claim.