A SURVEY/REPORT OF TRAVEL AGENTS (May 18, 1998) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This survey/report is ONLY about travel agents who sell airline tickets to the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). I will accept feedback only for agents serving those countries. ============================================================================== Note: A current version of this survey may be obtained from one of the following sites: WWW Home Page: http://Gremlin.chrr.ohio-state.edu/Travel/ FTP Location : ftp://gremlin.chrr.ohio-state.edu/Travel/TravelSurvey.Txt EMail Address: lahiri@postoffice.chrr.ohio-state.edu Subject: travel survey This Survey will still be posted on or around the 18th of every month on soc.culture.indian, soc.culture.bangladesh, soc.culture.tamil, soc.culture.indian.telugu, soc.culture.punjab, soc.culture.indian.delhi, soc.culture.bengali, soc.culture.indian.kerala, soc.culture.indian.marathi, soc.culture.indian.gujarati, soc.culture.indian.karnataka, soc.culture.indian.info and rec.travel.asia. ============================================================================== If you had a good or bad experience with a travel agent, please let us know so that your experience can be recorded here for the benefit of other travelers. Participation in documenting our latest experiences is essential to make this survey useful. You may submit your experiences through the "Submit Experiences" link on the home page http://gremlin.chrr.ohio-state.edu/travel/ Alternately, send me a mail with the subject line "travel agent report" at this address: lahiri@postoffice.chrr.ohio-state.edu Please include the date (the month and year) of your experience, so travel agents who show improvements get the credit for it. Also, we can see who are consistently 'good' agents. The survey is based on personal experiences only. Travel agents (mostly desi) who deal with travel to India/Pakistan/Bangladesh/Nepal/Sri Lanka are surveyed based on actual experiences. This is not a posting for commercial advertisement for or against any travel agent. In particular, I cannot and will not accept any responsibility for some travel agent's loss of business or any damages arising out of this posting. Regards.... Santanu Lahiri (lahiri@postoffice.chrr.ohio-state.edu) p.s. Do check out the *BEWARE OF* section at the beginning of travel agent listing. p.p.s. There has been a change in formatting. The agents are now listed sorted by Country Name. ============================================================================== General Notes: (Ticketing Dos and Don'ts) The notes on this page have grown out of submissions and suggestions from seasoned travellers, travel agents, and from experiences reported by travellers. Thanks to those who have contributed their expertise. These notes will grow as more information comes in. Charging your tickets to a Credit card ----------------------------------------- 1. Charging your tickets to a credit card is safer. However, many travel agents charge about 3% to 4% more to use this facility. Ask your agent. Also insist on getting the credit slip (customer's copy) after you pay by credit card. This will help you with the paper work with the credit card companies, Better Business Bureau and so on in case you are owed a refund and the agent gets nasty. The practice of charging extra for credit cards may or may not be legal. You can report it to the local business authorities and the credit card company but I don't know if they will (or can) do anything. To avoid paying extra on the credit card or for agents who don't accept cards, you may want to send the payment using the transaction cheques that credit card companies provide, sometimes without charging any transaction fee. If you do this, check with the agent beforehand if they will charge extra or not. Also, many credit card companies treat these cheques same as cash advances - you start paying finance charges the moment it is cashed. You may want to check with your card company as to their policies. 2. There is a lot of misinformation about surcharge on credit cards. First of all, there is no way a "good" agent can give you a competitive price for paying cash if they charge same price for cash or charge unless, the ticket is a "regular" ticket. In case of a regular ticket, the airline eats the cost of credit cards. When you use the credit card, someone has to pay a fee. When you want the cheapest possible ticket, you have to be willing to pay extra for the credit card. It is a cost simply passed on to you. Otherwise those who don't want to charge are paying higer price because the cost of credit card processing will be added to every ticket. 3. Some agents charge you full fare if you pay by credit card, and then reimburse the difference between full fare and discounted fare. But be cautious. Scouting For Tickets --------------------- 1. Don't call every agent and give them your passenger list. You will find yourself in a jam because many agents will book you on the first airline you mention. This can result in multiple bookings which are automatically cancelled by the airline, through no fault of the agent. 2. Difference between a regular ticket and a consolidated ticket: A regular ticket is a ticket issued by any agency using the airline ticket pricing system. Your ticket comes directly out of the airline ticket pool. A consolidated ticket is a ticket that comes from a special pool. The airlines know that they cannot sell every single ticket on every plane. So they reserve a block of seats for "consolidators". A consolidator is an agency that has a contract with the airline to sell these tickets. Many agents claim to be a consolidator because they know that the word consolidator sells ticket. There really is no good way to check if an agent is a consolidator for an airline. All consolidators sell to other agents. It doesn't make any difference if an agent is a consolidator or not. Most times the price of a ticket from a consolidator and any other agent is the same. These tickets are much cheaper than the regular tickets unless the airline is running a sale on the regular tickets. 3. Can you book yourself with the airline? If you want to purchase a regular priced ticket then booking it yourself is no problem. But you usually can't book your ticket with the airline if you want to buy a consolidated ticket. However, there is no harm in trying to make a booking and then check if an agent can pick up the ticket. No guarantees about fares, though. 4. You may be able to make your own reservations with the airlines directly, and contact a travel agent just for the tickets. This may not always work, since airlines may be overbooked during peak periods. Some travel agents buy blocks of seats from airlines. 5. In case you are just shopping for a price, and already have a booking, do not tell the agent about the reservations you made with the airlines directly. Just get a price quote. Otherwise you leave a chance for a not-so-honest travel agent to take over the ticketing without your authorization. On the same subject, you should find out if the price is for the booking you made, or for one the agent needs to make. 6. Just because an agent quoted you a price, do not expect that price to be guaranteed unless you actually finalized the purchase, i.e. you agreed to buy the ticket from the agent, at that price. Ticket prices can change, and most agents will quote you their current price, which may be higher or lower than what you were quoted earlier. You can, of course, mention the previous quote and see if the agent will honor it. No harm in trying. Waiting Lists -------------- 1. If one agent says that there are no seats available but he is waitlisting you, please don't call 15 other agents and do the same thing! Here is what happens: One agent has you as #20 on the waitlist; another #34 and so on. When your name comes up for confirmation, most airline computers detect your name more than once and auto-cancel you. So, now you have lost your chance altogether. If you do have to go onto the waiting list, make sure the airline confirms that the flight is indeed full, and then have one agent you trust put you on, and then just wait it out and take the chance. Many airlines don't allow multiple waitlists anyway. Buying Tickets --------------- 1. Once you have booked your ticket, ask the agent to fax you the itinerary. If for some reason they can't fax you right away, ask them to read it to you so you can be sure that your name is spelled just like it is on your passport and you are getting the dates/times that you want. Airlines are very strict and they don't allow name to be changed without a fee if it is incorrect. Sometimes if the error is minor enough (like a letter is left out or incorrect) they may make an exception. If an error is made and you already have your ticket, contact the agent about the error. 2. In most cases you need to keep calling the agent to remind him/her to mail you the tickets in time. 3. Insist that the agent give you confirmed tickets. 4. Insist that the travel agent mails you the tickets by certified mail or another express service to avoid the inconvenience if tickets get lost in mail. Many agents will do this automatically. Clarify who pays for it. It is to your advantage to pay the extra $10-$12 for the service than to be chasing the mailman for your ticket. Most agents do not take responsibility for tickets sent by regular mail. Express Services are available from, among others, US Postal Services, UPS, FedEx, AirBorne, DHL etc. An Overnight or 2nd Day delivery may be a good idea. 5. Make sure that the address on your cheque is your current address, or cross the old address off. This way the agent would know not to mail the tickets to the old address on the cheque. Or, include definite instructions with your payment as to where the tickets should be mailed to. 6. Insist on a computer-generated ticket. There has been at least one report recently of a hand-written ticket that was not honored by the Airline. Check the box marked Status. If it does not say 'OK' then you do not have a confirmed ticket. 7. Check the back of the ticket to see if the ticket was altered by the agent. In one case, the ticket was originally under a different name, and the agent had used red ink to emulate the red-carbon-copy. This was noticeable on the back side of the ticket. Confirming Your Tickets ------------------------ 1. Insist that the agent give you confirmed tickets. 2. Don't depend on the agent to confirm your tickets for you. If at all possible, before you pay the agent, call the airline and check if your tickets are confirmed if the agent claims they are. If they aren't, then give your agent a hard time. If they are, then save the confirmation number. 3. Ask the Airline to fax you a copy of the confirmation. This will usually have your confirmation number on it. It comes in useful later if there is a dispute. In at least one case, the airline relented because the passenger had the confirmation printout with him. So you should consider taking it (or copies of it) along with you on your trip. 4. When checking the booking with the Airline, make sure you check the passenger name(s) and flights/times. Always verify with the airline(s) that the entire trip is confirmed before you leave. Confirm each and every leg of the flight individually. Some travel agents have been known to lie about it. Problems with your agent ------------------------- 1. It might be safer if the travel agency has been appointed by "ARC" and "IATAN" and is a member of "ASTA" and has been in operation for a long period of time. 2. In most cases you need to keep calling the agent to remind him/her to mail you the tickets in time. 3. If a travel owes you a refund and gives you a hard time about it, you may try approaching Better Business Bureau. It works sometimes. 4. In case of a dispute with out-of-state travel agents, even if one wins the case in the courts of one's home state, one still has to move the case to the courts of the other state and try and collect there. Quite impractical. 5. Do take the time to send me an e-mail to document your experience. Please include the items required for the following table and more about what you went through. 6. If possible, forward a copy of this survey to your agent to make them aware that they are being monitored. General, Trip Related ---------------------- 1. Check the timings of the flights a couple of days prior to your flight. Sometimes flight timings change after the tickets have been booked. If you have connecting flights, there is a good possibility passengers on a cancelled flight will be shifted to an earlier flight to enable them to make the connection. It may save you a lot of harrassment and having to pay full rate fares at the airport if your flight time has been moved up and you missed it because you didn't know about it. The travel agent is usually not responsible for keeping on top of flight schedule changes, although we get a few reports of agents who have done it. Those are exceptions, not the norm. 2. Ask the agent and/or airlines if you need to join the frequent flyer programme in advance. 3. Plan ahead early enough. Plan for contingencies. Some agents also offer emergency services, so you may want to take their number with you, just in case. If you have a printout/fax of your confirmation number, take it (or copies of it) with you on the trip. It can lend you much credibility if a dispute does arise. 4. Do not depend on this survey blindly. Do your homework and shop around to get a good and safe deal. 5. Special Prices: Many times the airlines will be running special deals or price wars/reductions that are never reflected in the survey. You can find out about these by calling the airlines or from a service like One Link. Web Address for One Link is http://www.sys1.com/ . A number of Airline Phone# are also listed in the Airlines Info on the web site for this survey. 6. Buying tickets in India: If you are planning an INDIA-USA-INDIA trip, or plan to make the payment in Indian currency, you may get a better deal if you purchase the ticket from an agent in India. For USA-INDIA-USA trips, check the agents listed in USA first. To quote an agent in India, "MOST OF THE TIME it is cheaper to buy a ticket in US itself FOR A JOURNEY STARTING IN US...except in few cases where India is the best place. I am getting a lot of enquiries everyday from people asking me to quote a fare for USA-INDIA-USA ...TO give you an example...Atlanta-Delhi-Atlanta on Swiss Air here in India is US$1945...while people in US can get it for US$900!! The main reason being that price war is more prominent in US and they have thousands of fare basis to offer... travel on Monday could be cheaper than on Thursday!!" =============================================================================== Minor hassles, such as 'you need to keep calling the agent to remind to mail you the tickets' are lumped in good experiences. See the comments column too. Numbers in square brackets (e.g. [1]) indicate the number of responses since the last survey posting. The total number of experiences with any agent to date is the sum of previous experiences and those since the last posting. Credit Card Column: Y means credit card accepted at no extra charge. N means credit card not accepted. R means credit card is accepted with extra charge that is refunded later. X means credit card is accepted with extra charge. M means a rather mixed set of responses, you should ask the agent. P means receipt needs to be signed in person. At the end of the document appear all the emails received since the last post. Look them up if you need more specific information about the updates in the survey. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAUTION: BEWARE OF: -Airways of India (erstwhile Jupiter Travel) in NY. Took money but did not send tickets. -Viceroy Travels (aka Rohan Travels). Gave KLM tickets that the airline said were stolen. They advertise in India Abroad. -Speedways International. Got money in advance and gave lots of problems with the ticket. In one case, sold tickets that the airline classified stolen. -Travel Travel Travel/All Points Travel/Par Travel: VERY unreliable. Did not deliver tickets after getting payment multiple times. -Magic Travels Inc.: Tickets sold classified as stolen. -Caravan Travels Inc. (1101 Ave. U, 2nd Fl., Brooklyn, NY 11223): Cashed cheque and disappeared. -RIZ Travels (Iselin, NJ). Sold tickets which Delta claimed to be bought using a stolen credit card in the middle of the journey. -Jet Wings Travel (San Diego, CA). Raised prices after getting payment, did not send tickets, has not refunded money, lied to BBB and Attorney General's office. -Lucky Travels (Contact: Rama Rao) Decamped with money. Client won suit against him, but is still unable to collect. -Midwood Tours & Travel: Decamped with money. Advertised in India Abroad. Contact India Abroad for more info. Investigation being handled by Mr. Doug Nass, Airline Reporting Corporation, Tel : 703-816-8136 1530 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 800, Arlington, Virginia 22209 -Hand-written tickets. Insist on printed ones. Hand-written ones may not be honored by the airline. -People who send you email saying they can get you confirmed tickets. Check with the airline first if there are any seats available at all, or if the waiting list is open. Never pay before confirming your booking with the airline. -Also check out the individual entries for each agent below. Be very careful when buying tickets from the ones marked unreliable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================================ Canada: ============================================================================ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agent Name, Address |Experience | Credit | Latest | and Phone Number |Good | Bad | Card | Experience | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ontario: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alta Travels and Tours | 2 | | | Jan., 1997 Ph:(613) 241-8888 | | | | 87 George Street, Market Mall, |-------------------------------------------- Ottawa, ON K1N 9H7 |Very professional, courteous. Nice to deal Contact: Romina |with. Prompt. Good deal even at last minute. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best International Travels | 4 | | N | May, 1996 and Tours | | | | Ph:(416) 961-2790 +-------------------------------------------- 549 Parliament Street, |Reliable. Good prices. Helpful. Make sure Toronto, ON |you get the correct exchange rate when Contact: Mr. B. Varma |sending money as the rate fluctuates, and is |beyond his control. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadian Executive Travels | | | | Feb., 1998 Ltd. | [1] | | | Ph:(416) 264-2193 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(416) 264-2257 |Good price & customer service. Friendly. 2555 Eglinton Ave. E. Suite |Very professional, efficient. 201A, Toronto, ON M1K 5J1 | Contact: MOHAMED H. HAMID | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Tours and Travel | 2 | | | Dec., 1997 Ph:(613) 234-0550 | | | | 204-240 Catherine Street, |-------------------------------------------- Ottawa, ON |Polite, courteous. Informed about possible Contact: Ms. Sabitha, Mr |cancellation of Air India Flight, and got my Dhawan |tickets changed. Travel agency owner was a |bit rude. Tickets are slightly pricey. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gill International | 1 | | Y | Jan., 1998 Ph:(905) 796-8800 | | | | 3 |-------------------------------------------- |Good exp. Got tix on short notice. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Handa Travel Services Ltd | | 1 | | Aug., 1996 Ph:(613) 231-1111 | | | | Billings Bridge Plaza, Ottawa, |-------------------------------------------- ON |Rude. Demands 50 dollars (non-refundable) |deposit to make booking. Quotes very high |prices. Poor Service. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hari World Travels | 3 | | | Oct., 1997 Ph:(416) 366-2000 | | | | Fax:(416) 366-6020 +-------------------------------------------- Toronto, ON |Professional, efficient, helpful. Good Contact: Asha, Fatima |options. Good rates. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pacesetter (Goway) Travels | 1 | | | March, 1995 Ph:1-800-387-8827 | | | | (416) 322-1031 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(416) 322-1109 |Friendly, returns calls. Helpful. 3284 Yonge St., Suite 301, | Toronto, ON M4N 3M7 | Contact: Prundence Spry | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sharma Travels | | 2 | | 1994 Ottawa, | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Booked on an airline that suspended all |flights but traveller wasn't informed. No |refund. Rude. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saskatchewan: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-World Travels | 2 | | N | Sept, 1996 Ph:(306) 949-1235 | | | | Northgate Mall, Regina, SK |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Arvind (Andy) |EMail: patelv@meena.cc.uregina.ca |Helpful, Prompt, Polite, Courteous, Reliable. |Helpful to students. Low fares. Only flights |from Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other/Unknown (Can): ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emmanuel Travel | | | | 1996 Ph:(514) 861-5133 | | | | Montreal, |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Philomino Netto | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================================ France: ============================================================================ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agent Name, Address |Experience | Credit | Latest | and Phone Number |Good | Bad | Card | Experience | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- La Route des Indes | | | | 0 Paris, | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Specialized on India Trips ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Le Monde de l'Inde et de | | | | 0 l'Asie | | | | Ph:01 42 60 60 90 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:01 42 61 11 70 |Specialized on India Trips, know what they Paris, |are talking about ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nouvelles Frontieres | | | | 0 Paris, | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Widely advertised, cheap, service OK, not |personal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Voyageurs en Inde | | | | 0 Paris, | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Specialized on India Trips ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================================ Germany: ============================================================================ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agent Name, Address |Experience | Credit | Latest | and Phone Number |Good | Bad | Card | Experience | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Overland | 1 | | N | Jan., 1995 Ph:(06) 089 4481 550 | | | | Fax:(06) 089 4489 652 +-------------------------------------------- Worthstr. 49 D-81667, Munich, |Fantastic service. Flew munich->paris-> Contact: Strass |Bombay & back. Air France, $750, round trip. |Changed return date in Bom at no charge. |Infant fare only 10% of charged. Many want |10% of official fare. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================================ India: ============================================================================ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agent Name, Address |Experience | Credit | Latest | and Phone Number |Good | Bad | Card | Experience | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maharashtra: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bhagyashri Travels Pvt. Ltd. | | | | 1997 Ph:0091-212-438582 | | | | 0091-212-422978, 435306 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:0091-212-477907 |EMail: vvgole@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in 'Bhagyashri', 81 Adhyapak |Web : http://www.plexustech.net/bhagyashri/ Colony, Sahakarnagar No.1, |Web Site has list of prearranged tours Pune, 411 009. | Contact: Vivek | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kajale Travels and Tours | 1 | | | Jan., 1997 Ph:0091-212-325141 | | | | 0091-212-356673 +-------------------------------------------- |Real good agency for hiring cars in and |around Maharashtra. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Delhi: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connections World Travel | 1 | | | Sept, 1997 Ph:+91 11 648-0037 | | | | +91 11 622-2052/640-4587 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:+91 11 641-3850 |EMail: rseth@del2.vsnl.net.in G-9, Vishal Bhawan, 95, Nehru |Prompt, Reliable, Friendly. Arranged visas Place , New Delhi, Delhi 110 |to European Countries from India. Works with 019 |you on complicated schedules. Contact: Rohit, Minnie, | Jasmine, Supriya | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- India Vision | 1 | | X | Feb., 1997 Ph:91-11-5707272 | | | | 91-11-5702828 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:91-11-5702929 |Somewhat expensive. Helpful, professional. 305-306,Guru Arjun Dev Bhawan, | Ranjit Nagar Commercial | Complex, New Delhi, 110008 | Contact: Mr Madhu | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perfect Travels | 2 | | | July, 1997 Ph:+91 11 572 4462 | | | | +91 11 572 1861 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:+91 11 575 1536 |EMail: perfect@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in Telex:031 61013 |Good Service. Has sub-agencies in different Telex:031 61013 New Delhi, |parts of India, equally good. Delhi | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prime Travels | 1 | | | Nov., 1996 Ph:011-685-3314, 685-5688 | | | | 011-651-3314, 685-5270 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:011-686-2698 |EMail: primetvl@del2.vsnl.net.in 2, DDA Commercial Complex, |Web : http://www.macabel.com/prime Mayfair Gardens, New Delhi, 16 |Can arrange for tickets if you send mail to Contact: Mr. Arun Varma |him from here. However, see Ticketing Do/ |Don'ts, General Notes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vardaan Air Travels | | | N | 1996 Ph:91 11 684 9621 | | | | 91 11 692 1374 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:91 11 692 1585 |EMail: whizkids@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in Ground Floor , A - 66 , New |Cell Phone# 00+98100 36810 Friends Colony , New Delhi, | Delhi 110 065 | Contact: Ashwani Kohli, Niti | Kohli | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Bengal: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alps Travel | | 1 | | July, 1997 Calcutta, WB | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Could not get Amex on confirmed reservation, |got the reservation cancelled instead. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aruna Travel | | 1 | | Aug., 1997 Calcutta, WB | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Made promises, didn't deliver. Tried to sell |unconfirmed tix. Tried to avoid refunding |money for cancelled tix. Delivered same only |when confronted in front of other clients. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================================ United States: ============================================================================ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agent Name, Address |Experience | Credit | Latest | and Phone Number |Good | Bad | Card | Experience | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Around The World Travel | 1 | | X | June, 1995 Ph:(205) 945-1119 | | | | Fax:(205) 942-9981 +-------------------------------------------- 267 West Valley Ave, Suite |Professional, prompt, courteous. 186, Birmingham, AL 35209 | Contact: Arun Pimpalpure | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wholesale Travel | 6 | | X | Nov., 1996 Ph:(205) 881-2331 | | | | Fax:(205) 883-5785 +-------------------------------------------- 915 San Ramon Avenue, |EMail: nagrawal@hiwaay.net Huntsville, AL 35802 |Responsive, good prices, works with you. Contact: Nisheeth Agrawal, |Professional, helpful, responds to calls and Denise |e-mails. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deep Travels | 3 | | | Jan., 1998 Ph:(602) 545-9310 | | | | Phoenix, AZ |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Deepa Bajaj |EMail: deeptrv@goodnet.com |Helpful, Reliable, Easy to work with. |Professional. Good Service. Good at last |minute ticketing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Falcon Wings Travel II | | 2 | X | Dec., 1995 (Phoenix, AZ, Now Defunct) | | | | Ph:(602) 244-2446 +-------------------------------------------- Phoenix, AZ |Slow. Did not keep customer updated with Contact: Sandeep (Sunny) |info. Changed name to Skyspeed Travels, and |then to Travellers Edge. Not affiliated to |Falcon Wings, Los Angeles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sky High Tours & Travels | 8 | | Y/X | Dec., 1996 Ph:(602) 246-2929 | | | | (602) 2GO-AWAY +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(602) 303-9489 |EMail: MSHAH76087@aol.com 2121 W. University Dr, Tempe, |Low rates, professional, patient. AZ 85281 |Trustworthy. Helpful. A bit slow sometimes, Contact: Mr. Miheer Shah/Mrs. |but works to you to schedule your flights, Beena Shah |Quick to refund money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skyspeed Travel & Tours (was | 1 | 2 | | April, 1996 Falcon Wings AZ) | | | | Ph:(602) 26-SPEED +-------------------------------------------- (602) 267-8835 |EMail: Sunnyt@tribeca.ios.com 5040 E McDowell Road, Phoenix, |Good in an emergency. Helpful. Used to be AZ 85008 |Falcon Wings in Phoenix, AZ. Has switched Contact: Sunny or Deepa |name to Travellers Edge. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travellers Edge (Erstwhile | 1 | 4 | | Jan., 1997 SkySpeed, Falcon Wings) | | | | Scottsdale, Greater Phoenix, |-------------------------------------------- AZ |Bounced refund cheque, refused to return Contact: Sandeep (Sunny), |money. Changed name from Falcon Wings to Deepa |SkySpeed to Travellers Edge. Ratings have |been carried over. Avoidable. May have |changed name to/joined Universal Travels. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- California: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3S International Travels | 2 | | X | Feb., 1998 Ph:(408) 243-5495 | [1] | | | 2980 Stevens Creek Blvd, |-------------------------------------------- Suite 370, San Jose, CA 95128 |Professional, Friendly, Helpful. 4% Contact: Rashid Kutty |Surcharge for Credit Cards. Slow to send tix. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A2Z Tours & Travels | 4 | | N/X | Nov., 1997 Ph:(714) 855-0689 | | | | Fax:(714) 855-2344 +-------------------------------------------- 23300 Orange Ave. #2, Lake |EMail: a2ztravel@earthlink.net Forest, CA 92603 |Web : http://home.earthlink.net/~a2ztravel Contact: Amit & Zelam Chaubal |Prompt, Courteous. Works with you. Good Fare |for Malaysian. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adore Travels | 4 | 1 | N/X | Jan., 1997 Ph:(310) 859-8740 | | | | Fax:(310) 859 8982 +-------------------------------------------- 1494 S. Robertson Blvd. Suite |Friendly, helpful, competitive fares. A bit 201,, Los Angeles, CA 90035 |abrupt sometimes. Quick answer by phone. Contact: Sriyal Kumarage, Mr. | Puni, Mr. Ravi | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Airlink Tours & Travel | 1 | 1 | | Dec., 1997 Ph:(310) 558-4405 | | | | Fax:(310) 558-0520 +-------------------------------------------- 4248 Overland Av. Suite 1, |Good Service, Prompt, Helpful. Altered date Culver City, CA 90230 |of 2nd on tix by hand to 12th, w/o permit Contact: Shahzad, Amin, Sunny |from airline, sent tix late, caused pax to |miss int'l flight - TWICE, wasted local |flight by misinforming pax. Refused to |return money, blamed it on another agent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Star Travels | | 1 | | June, 1995 Santa Clara, CA | | | | Contact: Mr. Gani |-------------------------------------------- |Unreliable. Changes dates without consulting. |Rude. Avoidable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- American Dream Travels (was | 6 | 3 | X | Sept, 1996 Kohinoor Travels) | | | | Ph:(408) 241-9155 +-------------------------------------------- 3083 El Camino Real, Santa |Low price. Inefficient & slow. Quick and Clara, CA 95051 |professional according to another. Rude. Contact: Deepa |Unreliable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amglow Travels | 2 | 3 | X | Nov., 1996 Ph:(510) 652-5573 | [1] | | | (510) 223-2720 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(510) 652-9107 |Helpful, courteous, reliable, gets decent 5901 Christie Avenue, Suite |prices. Slow. Mixed up flight timings. Did #207, Emeryville, CA 94068 |not follow client requests about mailings. Contact: Smitha Iyer |Forgot something which caused the Airline to |cancel reservation. Poor service, not |helpful. Insensitive to client needs. Forgot |Wheelchair requirements. Does not record |conversation details with client. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Answer Travels | 12 | 3 | X | Oct., 1997 Ph:(818) 797-7017 | | | | 3118 Villa Knolls Drive,, |-------------------------------------------- Pasadena, CA 91107 |Works from home. Low rates. Very efficient. Contact: Shukla Reyes |Prompt. Quick refund of cancelled tickets. |Good prices even at very short notice. |Pleasant. Trustworthy. Insulting in one case. |Raised price by $20 (taxes), abusive, |discourteous. Now will send quote by fax to |avoid confusion. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baring's Continental Travel | 1 | | | Aug., 1995 CA | | | | Contact: Sharon Barings |-------------------------------------------- |Prompt, courteous, helpful. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CN Travels | | 1 | | Dec., 1995 Ph:(310) 402-9294 | | | | Fax:(310) 865-8974 +-------------------------------------------- 18102 Poineer Blvd., Suite |Lied about confirmation and took the money. 103, Artesia, CA 90701 |Very unreliable. Contact: Minesh | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Continental Travels | | 2 | | 1996 Ph:(408) 293-2880 | | | | San Jose, CA |-------------------------------------------- |Did not inform about unconfirmed |reservations, canceled flights etc. Not |professional. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dream Travel Agency | 7 | | | Nov., 1997 Ph:(408) 245-5994 | | | | Fax:(408) 245-5994 +-------------------------------------------- 395 Ano Nuevo Ave., Suite 416, |EMail: dream@best.com Sunnyvale, CA 94086 |Courteous, reliable, prompt in returning Contact: Manoj Goyal, Monica |calls. Obtained tickets at short notice. Goyal |Reasonable fares. Did not call back at all |in one case. Responsive, got tix at short |notice, also increased price at last minute |(consolidator increased price?) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Z Travels | 23 | 3 | X | Dec., 1997 Ph:(310) 836-1477 | | | | 10202 Venice Blvd., Suite |-------------------------------------------- 203A, Los Angeles, CA |Very efficient and courteous. Works hard to Contact: Laila, Zara Ahmed, |keep customers happy. Returns calls and Maya |keeps you informed once they know you will |buy tickets from them. Prompt. Lots of |problems in returning some money in a few |cases. A bit unprofessional about returning |calls sometimes. Occassionally Very |Satisfactory. Once sold unconfirmed tix, |raised prices at last moment, did not book |tix for spouse. Another time very prompt and |helpful. Later experience satisfactory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Euro Asia Travels | | 1 | | Feb., 1997 Ph:619-277-2323 | | | | San Diego, CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Harjeet Sandhu |Delayed mailing tix till last moment. Double- |charged for tix. Wrote refund check on |closed bank account. Hadn't returned money. |Check BBB reports. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Falcon Wings Travel (Los | | | | 1996 Angeles, CA) | | | | Ph:(310) 417-3590 +-------------------------------------------- Los Angeles, CA |Not affiliated to Falcon Wings, Arizona Contact: Mr Aftab Khan CEO, |(Agent Sunny) Dr. Parks | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Five Star Travels | | 1 | X | Sept, 1996 San Jose, CA | | | | Contact: Samira |-------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FreeWorld Tours & Travel | | 2 | | March, 1998 1533 Franklin Street, San | | | | Francisco, CA 94109 |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Victor |unprofessional, lied about confirmation, |mailed invalid tickets, canceled reservation |without client approval, asked to pay more |money after delivering the tickets. Cashed |check, then cancelled tix. Booked pax on |discontinued IA flight. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ganti Travels | 6 | 1 | | April, 1998 Ph:(408) 263-0149 | [1] | | | Milpitas, CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Geeta |Good service. Helpful. Did not call back at |all. Good deal on tix, promptly delivered. |Passed on extra discount for loer prices |after payment was made. Last: Unprofessional. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good Wind Travels | 13 | | Y | Dec., 1997 Ph:(818) 918-1992 | | | | 1414, S. Azusa Avenue, Suite |-------------------------------------------- B-10, West Covina, CA 91791 |Calls back. Good prices, prompt, courteous. Contact: Indira, Steve |Low Prices. Does not always call back. |Professional, helpful. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Himalayan Treasures & Travels | 2 | | | Dec., 1997 Ph:1-800-223-1813 | [1] | | | (510) 222-5307 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(510) 223-5309 |EMail: treks92646@aol.com CA |Prompt to respond to queries. Sent tix in a Contact: Govind Shani |week. Helpful. Professional. Fares may be |high. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ila Kothari | 4 | | X | Dec., 1997 Ph:(408) 723-7255 | | | | (650) 327-7030 +-------------------------------------------- San Jose, CA |Got tix in peak season. Works hard. Reliable. Contact: Ila Kothari |Truthful, helpful. Called back after trip to |verify all went ok. Admitted mistake in |pricing, but left upto client to pay |difference or not. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Infinity Travels | 4 | 1 | Y/X | Nov., 1997 Ph:(408)-245-8444 | | | | Sunnyvale, CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Lata, Mahesh |Courteous, professional. Helpful. |Competetive prices. Rude once. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Innovative Travel Services, | 5 | 7 | X | July, 1997 Inc | | | | Ph:(408) 737-8822 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(408) 773-9335 |Helpful, prompt, competitive fares. Very 510 Lawrence Expy, Suite 221, |unhelpful in one case with travel plans. Sunnyvale, CA |Also once delayed till the last minute to Contact: Rita, Reshum(?) |inform that she could not book tix. Did not |return calls, again. Discourteous. Kept |money for a long time, did not send tix, |returned money after threatening legal |action. Rude. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inter Express Tours & Travel | 2 | | Y/X | Oct., 1996 Inc. | | | | Ph:(818) 308-3136 +-------------------------------------------- (818) 445-3136 |Prompt, courteous, reliable. Credit cards Fax:(818) 308-1323 |accepted. Good for Singapore Airlines 711 W. Valley Bl. #304, | Alahambra, CA 91803 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jet Wings Travel | 6 | 7 | X | Nov., 1996 Ph:(619) 578-4696 | | | | San Diego, CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Shirley Kelley |Filed for bankruptcy in November 1996 |Cooperative, competitive rates, promptly |returns calls. Friendly. Mailed tickets to |India by Express Mail. Delayed repayment for |a long time. Reliable. Courteous. Some bad |experiences - did not provide info when a |flight was cancelled. Did not return calls. |Latest: Lied about confirmations, rude, |raised prices by $200+ after getting money. |uncooperative, hasn't returned payment for |months. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kay Aar Travels | 5 | 5 | | Dec., 1997 Ph:(415) 788-7222 | | | | San Franciso, CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Sunil |Unco-operative. Won't call back. Extremely |rude. Did cancel ticket when asked. Had to |go thru attorney to get refund. Brusque. |Reliable in a few cases. More expensive than |others once. Good rates otherwise. Changed |prices after tix were confirmed. Hiked fare |twice, issued waitlisted tix. Improved since. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Khajala Travels | 1 | | X | March, 1995 Ph:(818) 576-2455 | | | | Alhambra, CA |-------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kohinoor Travels | 6 | 3 | X | Sept, 1994 Santa Clara, CA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Low price. Inefficient & slow. Quick and |professional according to another. Rude. |Unreliable. May have changed name to |American Dream Travel. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kona Kai Travels | 1 | | | Jan., 1995 San Diego, CA | | | | Contact: Chuck Bhasin |-------------------------------------------- |Courteous, reliable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kona-Kai International | | | | 1996 Discount Travel | | | | Ph:(619) 454-3066 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(619) 454-3464 |EMail: ak@pcsi.com 7817 Herschel Ave., Suite 201, |Fluent in many languages. , La Jolla, CA 92037 | Contact: Padminee Marathe | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maazda Travels | 5 | 4 | N | Dec., 1997 Ph:(310) 273-9100 | | | | (415) 398-7777 +-------------------------------------------- Beverly Hills, San Francisco, |Courteous, efficient. Low price. Helpful in CA |a case of a missed connection. Sent tickets Contact: Vinitha (at San |by federal express ($7.00 charge) when faxed Francisco) |a copy of the cheque. Not reliable. Claimed |to have bought tix when he hadn't. The SFO |branch seems to be reliable. May be a little |expensive. Last: Poor service even at SFO. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mascot Travels | 2 | | N | Nov., 1996 Ph:(310) 839-9422 | | | | CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Kalyani Mahadevan |Reliable, honest. Low fares. Tickets Iyer |delivered on time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nagina Travels | 1 | | | Sept, 1997 Ph:(510) 656-7280 | | | | CA |-------------------------------------------- |Good service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Netto Travels | 1 | | | Aug., 1995 Ph:(714) 633-3686 | | | | Orange, CA |-------------------------------------------- |Good service and prices. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Om Travels | 21 | 9 | X | Feb., 1998 Ph:(408) 988-2090 | | | | Fax:(408) 988-2326 +-------------------------------------------- 4041 Davis St., Santa Clara, |If he is doubtful, says so clearly. Sent CA 95054 |faxes to India of university students. Hunts Contact: Mr. Kishan (Santa |for the cheapest deal. Calls back. Prompt. Clara), Mr. Vasi (Sunnyvale?) |Courteous. Honest and helpful. Need to keep |on top and check things out for yourself. |Bad experience - goofed up various ticketing |details. Unprofessional & impolite sometimes. |Messed up accomodations, meal requirements |once. Another time tix were unconfirmed till |passenger was in India, charged much more |than quoted. Yet another experience very |good. Later, very nice experience, best |rates. Phone Answering needs to improve. |Mixed up all sorts of details. Another time, ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Onkar Travels | 1 | 1 | | Sept, 1994 San Francisco, CA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Rude. Lied about ticket being ready. Helpful, |no complaints. Customer had to resort to |collection agency to collect money in one |case. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paru's Travel and Tour | 31 | 8 | X | Feb., 1998 Ph:(818) 703-6060 | | | | Fax:(818) 703-6633 +-------------------------------------------- Los Angeles, CA |Quick. No problems. Polite, courteous. Contact: Irene, Geeta, |Suggest ways to beat the complexities of Sulochana (Su) |regulations regarding stopovers, minimum |stay, etc. Helpful with changes in travel |plan. Efficient. Kept the quoted low price |even after the airlines raised it becuase of |oil prices. Some time in the past, he |received a lot of negative publicity on the |net. Dragged feet on ticket issue. Deal with |Geeta/Mohan. Others may be rude, refused to |take msgs. Dragged heels a bit on peak |season tix. Rude. Another time exceptional |service. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Princy Travels | 20 | 1 | | Feb., 1998 Ph:(650) 917-1937 | | | | Fax:(650) 917-1950 +-------------------------------------------- 960 North San Antonio Rd, |EMail: travel@imc2000.com Suite 161, Los Altos, CA 94022 |Web : http://www.imc2000.com/travel Contact: Mr.Wilson/Mrs.Ancy/ |Handles many major Airlines. Multilingual Mr.Philip |Agents. Good Service. Reasonable Prices. |Bookings accepted through E-Mail. Calls back. |Accepts CredCards only in person. Has fares |to different Indian cities from various |places in US listed on their web page if you |are flying soon. Fares on Web Site are final. |Card Charge and Tax extra. Did not call back |in one case due to computer problems. Fast |refunds. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prominent Travel Inc | 1 | | | Sept, 1997 Ph:(714) 632-9151 | | | | Fax:(714) 632-9536 +-------------------------------------------- 3290 East Coronado Street, |Courteous, Responsive, Prompt. Prompt Anaheim, CA 92807 |refunds on cancelled tix. Contact: Bhupen, Devi Desai | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Punjab Travels | 1 | | | Dec., 1995 Ph:(408) 441-7570 | | | | (415) 941-2763 +-------------------------------------------- CA |Sincere Contact: Mr. Prem | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roy Travels | 11 | 2 | X | Nov., 1997 Ph:(408) 578-3598 | | | | (408) 365-9809 +-------------------------------------------- San Jose, CA |Prompt, courteous, competitive price. Contact: Milli |Helpful with emergency ticketing and when |ticket was lost. Tends to do some last |minute work, so be careful. Slightly |unreliable. Returns calls. Got tix even at |short notice, later moved return date to |accomodate customer. One time rude & abrupt, |did not return calls, raised prices after |booking. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Royal Air Travel | 5 | 3 | | July, 1996 Ph:(800) 380-3330 | | | | 909-396-5500 +-------------------------------------------- 3810 Wilshire Blvd., Suite |Helpful, courteous, reliable. However, 1204, Los Angeles, CA 90010 |apparently, sold STOLEN tickets for Delta. Contact: P.N. Divakaran |Apparently blacklisted by the airline as a |result. Be careful. after getting money, |issued waitlisted tix, with wrong name. |Refused to confirm return trip. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- S K Travel & Tours | 7 | | | March, 1998 Ph:(310) 204-5333 | | | | Fax:(310) 204-5417 +-------------------------------------------- 3445 Mentone Ave ste 114, Los |EMail: sktravels@hotmail.com Angeles, CA 90034 |Web : http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/2674 Contact: Lalitha |Good service on several trips. Good prices, |Patient. Attention to details such as veg. |meals. Courteous & Helpful. Took care of |details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sai Travels (1) | 4 | 8 | Y/X | Nov., 1997 Ph:(650) 790-3434 | | | | (510) 657-1724? +-------------------------------------------- Fremont, CA |Reliable, courteous. Had to send in partial |payment ($400) after which they confirmed |ticket and promptly mailed it. Put on hold |for 8 minutes, took down info, but never |called back. Quite unprofessional. Quoted |wrong fare - again. Put on hold for long |times. Rude. Rude Again. And Again. Booked |tix in wrong name. Lied about correcting it. |Another time on wrong date. Did not call |back. Another time very good, no problems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sai Travels (3) | | 6 | | Jan., 1995 San Jose, CA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Rude. Asked for payment 2 months in advance, |and did not send tickets for a month. Needed |to pick up the tickets in person. Long phone |hold time. Appalling service. Will not make |reservations without prepayment. Lied about |resvervations, legal recourse necessary to |get money back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoppers Travel | 1 | | | Dec., 1994 Ph:(415) 291-0999 | | | | Fax:(415) 291-9313 +-------------------------------------------- 870 Market St Ste 409, San | Francisco, CA 94102 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver Wings Travel | 3 | | | Jan., 1998 Ph:(818) 386-2300 | | | | 15456 Ventura Blvd, Suite 102, |-------------------------------------------- Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 |Quite reliable, pleasant. Professional. Very Contact: Kushal Vira(Owner), |good in emergencies. Got tix on very short Noni, Sanjeev |notice. Efficient. May be expensive. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skybird Tours and Travels | 2 | | | Jan., 1998 Ph:510-792-0666 | [1] | | | Fax:510-792-8749 +-------------------------------------------- MN |Good Service, Deal, even on very short Contact: Deepa, Puja |notice. Competitive prices. In emergency |sent tix w/o payment. Offered useful tips. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skypak Tours and Travels | | | | CA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |see Valley Skypak. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunnyvale Travels | 14 | 8 | X | March, 1998 Ph:(408) 245-5090 | [1] | | | 1220 Towncenter Lane, CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Halima Valani, Jyoti |Competitive rates. Polite and efficient. Kopparapu, Ms Ferry |Rude in one case. Service had deteriorated |for a while - calls not returned, rude. |Refused to honor itinerary commitments. For |a while good, courteous & efficient, helpful, |patient, trying hard to improve quality of |service. Very good. Attention to details. |Mention this survey. Rude and insulting. |Again. Last: Good Service, Prompt & |Informative. Does not call back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Super Travel (II) | 1 | | | Oct., 1997 Ph:(510) 226 9453 | | | | CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Shams |Friendly, honest. Good prices. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trade Wings Tours & Travel | | | | March, 1998 Ph:(310) 372-3961 | [1] | | | Fax:(310) 372-2770 +-------------------------------------------- 1637 Curtis Avenue, Manhattan |Good Service. Extended hours. Polite. May Beach, CA 90266 |not be cheapest. Contact: Gandhi Charugundala | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TravelMax International | | | | Ph:(800) 958-6299 | | | | 3421 Via Oporto, Newport |-------------------------------------------- Beach, CA 92663 |EMail: loum@erols.com Contact: Loumis Taylor | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trips & Travels | 7 | 1 | X | Sept, 1996 Ph:(408) 982-9400 | | | | Santa Clara, CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Raj, Usha |Reliable. Honest. Unreliable and dishonest |in one case. Polite. Merged with Sai Travels. |Cancelled the ticket after selling it! Did |not return calls once ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- United Tours And Travel | 12 | 2 | X | Oct., 1997 Ph:(510) 794-8890 | | | | 37053 Cherry Street, Suite |-------------------------------------------- #101, Newark, CA |Polite, returns calls, no problems with Contact: Najib, Ruksana, |reservations. Competitive rates. Prompt. Maqsood |Helpful in emergency. Screwed up hotel |reservations and arrogant once. Last - Good |Service & Price. Went out of his way to |accomodate a stopover without extra charge. |Returns phone calls promptly. Issued |waitlisted tix as confirmed, client forced |into paying more, wrong date & flight. Wrong |date again. Arrogant about errors. Forced |client to pay more to correct dates. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- United Travels | | 1 | | April, 1996 Fremont, CA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Rude. Refused to book tickets till payment |received. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Universal Travel | 2 | | N | May, 1996 Ph:(916) 442-8747 | | | | Fax:(916) 442-2080 +-------------------------------------------- 1005, 12th Street (Between J & |Great service and prices. Helpful. K), Sacramento, CA 95814 |Wholesaler for PIA. Contact: Mrs. Jeet | Sandhu(Owner/mgr) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upul's Travel Service | 3 | 1 | X | Jan., 1997 Ph:(818) 918-9770 | | | | (213) 686-1616 +-------------------------------------------- Los Angeles, CA |Doesn't make promises he can't keep. Contact: Syed |Explains things clearly. Mixed up flight |timings once. Good Price, Courteous. E-Mail |address upul@delphi.com is not valid any |more. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Valley Skypak | | 2 | | Dec., 1994 Conoga Park, CA | | | | Contact: Shahid/Paresh |-------------------------------------------- |Rude, unreliable. Dishonest. Being tried in |small claims court. Also runs Skypak Tours |and Travels? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vani Travels | 7 | | | July, 1997 Ph:(818) 776-1766 | | | | CA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Bhupinder Sawhney |Returns calls. Honest. Prompt. Helpful. Good |fares on short notice. Reminds you about |'gotcha'-s. Calls back promptly with info. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- World Enterprise | 3 | 1 | X | Dec., 1997 Ph:(408) 378-4880 | | | | 831, West Rincon Ave, Cambell, |-------------------------------------------- CA 95008 |Professional, prompt, courteous, very Contact: Anu |helpful. Raised prices at the last minute. |Threatened to sue if did not buy tickets |from her. Misled about confirmation. Asks |you to call back, but remembers you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zenith Travel Agency | 1 | | | Sept, 1994 Ph:(800) 563-2731 | | | | (310) 402-1710 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(310) 402-1710 11428 E. Artesia Blvd, | Artesia, CA 90701 | Contact: Ritu | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Colorado: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accel Travel | 1 | | Y | Sept, 1995 Ph:(303) 337-1122 | | | | Denver, CO |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Usha Murali |Courteous, efficient, prompt. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETS inc. | 3 | | Y/X | Dec., 1994 Ph:1-800-303-5427 | | | | Denver, CO |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Abban M. Elias |Good fares on Delta. Prompt. Efficient. |Phone disconnected as of Jan 1998. Out of |business? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mt. Everest Travel | | | | 1996 Ph:(303) 620-9306 | | | | Fax:(303) 690-8788 +-------------------------------------------- 1533 Champa Street , Denver, | CO 80202 | Contact: Sam Shrestha | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connecticut: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- East-West Travels | 1 | | X | Jan., 1993 Ph:(203) 649-3986 | | | | Fax:(203) 645-8022 +-------------------------------------------- Manchester, CT 06040 |Reliable and trustworthy. Contact: Ram | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Global Travel | 14 | 1 | | Sept, 1997 Ph:(203) 325-0442 | | | | (203) 325-2529?? +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(203) 969-7118 |EMail: globaltvl@aol.com 426 Courtland Ave. Suite #4, |Web : http://www.ctbusiness.com/global_travel.h Stamford, CT 06906 |Courteous, Professional, Prompt. Helpful. Contact: Mrs. Sandhya Bazaj, |Seems good for Royal Jordanian. Good Fare on Rajiv |Short Notice. Reliable. Quick to respond in |emergency. Follows up even after delivering |tix. Did not call back, claimed booking |without making one. Excellent service in |another case, tix even mailed to India |before getting paid. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- KM Travels | | 1 | | Jan., 1998 Ph:(860) 561-9709 | | | | |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Mani |Forgot to confirm domestic ticket in India, |Pax had to pay more for tix. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Universal Travels | 7 | 1 | Y/R | July, 1992 Ph:(800) 922-3267 | | | | (203) 562-4557 +-------------------------------------------- CT |Reliable. May not be the cheapest. Efficient. Contact: Mr. Lokesh |Good deals on Sabena Belgian Airlines. Got |confirmed seats on Air India on the day of |travel with less than 5 hours to catch |flight. Polite. IA connection info. Gives |refund only with great difficulty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asfar Travels | 1 | | | Ph:(813) 626-5522(old) | | | | Tampa, FL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Rashida Lokhandawala |Good deal. No problems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bharat Travels | 2 | | | Nov., 1994 Miami, FL | | | | Contact: Faryal Kara, Mrs. |-------------------------------------------- Gumutha |Prompt. Very reliable. Returns calls |promptly. Gets tickets at short notice. Are |the GSAs for Sahara India Airlines too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dollarwise Travel III | | | | Ph:(305) 772-5025 | | | | 1901 W. Cypress Creek Road, |-------------------------------------------- Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Contact: Mr. Mustafa | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dollarwise Travels | 5 | | X | March, 1996 Ph:(800) 343-0071(?) | | | | Miami, FL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Bharat Patel, Khaled |Helpful, reliable. Does not accept personal Quaraishi |cheques. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Offshore Travels | | 1 | | May, 1995 Tarpon Springs, FL | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Sold unconfirmed unauthorized tickets. Did |not refund money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orient Travel Services | | 1 | | Feb., 1998 Tampa, FL | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Rude ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Network | 4 | | X | Sept, 1996 Ph:(407) 699-2100 | | | | Winter Springs, FL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Ravi Patel |Courteous. Reliable. Prompt. $40 charge on |credit cards. Agent for British Airways ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Georgia: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AC Travels | 1 | | | Jan., 1996 Smyrna, GA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Akash Travel | | 1 | | Jan., 1997 6543 Seven Oaks, Tucker, GA | | | | 30084 |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Suresh & Zharna Shah |Took money, did not mail tix, did not give |refund. Lied to BBB. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amigo Travels | 4 | | | Jan., 1998 Ph:(770) 414-4498 | | | | Fax:(770) 934-7316 +-------------------------------------------- 4534 Westhampton Circle, |Efficient, courteous. Good Lufthansa fares. Tucker, GA 30084 |Prompt. Pateint. Suggested Youth Fare Contact: Prabha Iyengar |Reduction. Knowledgable. Hari World Travels |is one of their consolidators. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlanta International Travel | 1 | | | March, 1994 Ph:(770) 449-7272 | | | | GA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Kurian |Extremely reliable, comparable rates. Good |service. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everest Travels | 5 | 5 | | Jan., 1998 Ph:(404) 231-5222 | | | | (404) 414-4555 +-------------------------------------------- Atlanta, GA |Reliable, reasonable rates. Bad about giving Contact: Raaji |refunds for cancelled flights in one case, |good in another. Blocked tix, discourteous. |Repeatedly called at office after work hours. |. Rude ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- M. J. Travels | 5 | | N | May, 1994 Ph:(404) 292-3729 | | | | Atlanta, GA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Mr. Mohsin |Courteous, particular, fair price. Mohsin |Bharmal at this agency suggested a cheaper |travel by BA instead of PanAm. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Royal Travels | 13 | | Y/X | March, 1998 Ph:(770) 492-9010 | | | | Fax:(770) 492-0210 +-------------------------------------------- Atlanta, GA |EMail: royaltravels@mindspring.com Contact: Ramanie Joseph |Superb service. Returns calls. Very |efficient. Good Deals. Good On Delta at |short notice. Excellent service in emergency |situation. Polite & courteous. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Safeway Travels | | 3 | | Dec., 1995 Atlanta, GA | | | | Contact: Meena |-------------------------------------------- |Incompetent. Made a mistake in the ticket |and ripped it up a day before travel, |assuming no responsibility. Very unreliable. |Dishonest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spalding Travels | 6 | | R | July, 1995 Ph:(404) 441-1164 | | | | Atlanta, GA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Prabha |Efficient, polite, courteous. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Illinois: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Tours | 2 | | Y/X | June, 1997 Ph:(312) 764-4544 | | | | 2609 W. Devon Ave, Chicago, |-------------------------------------------- IL 60659 |Prompt. Good prices. Honest. Pleasant. Contact: BaDi |Reliable. Agreed to swallow extra charge |agent did not know about. Called to warn |about cancelled flight ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AK Travels | 1 | | | Dec., 1995 Ph:(312) 274-3960 | | | | 2800 W. Peterson Ave, Chicago, |-------------------------------------------- IL |Very difficult to deal with. Won't quote Contact: Aliya/Khalid |fares etc. Took money when ticket was not |confirmed. Problems with returning money. |Lied about cashing cheque. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alien Travels | | 2 | | Oct., 1996 Ph:(312) 263-1972 | | | | Chicago, IL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Tahir, Niyaz |Did not return calls. Rude. Misled about |reservations. Again. Charged card for |someone else's ticket. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Airline Agency Travel Inc. | | 3 | | Feb., 1998 (AAA Travel Inc.) | | | | Ph:(312) 427-9000 +-------------------------------------------- 28 E. Jackson Blvd., #705, |Asked for "good-faith" cheque for $100. Did Chicago, IL 60604 |not give tickets despite reminders. Money Contact: Sunita Lall, Nayan |not yet returned. Rude. Lies about ticket |confirmation. Again. Lied about ticket |changeability, cancelled tix but didn't |return money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amber Travels | | | | Dec., 1997 Ph:(847) 301-7700 | | | | Fax:(847) 301-7708 +-------------------------------------------- IL |Professional. Consistent, Polite. Helpful. |Good Prices. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amit Travels | 2 | 2 | N | Dec., 1996 Ph:(312) 761-6200 | | | | Chicago, IL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Ashok, Amit, Mrs |Polite, Competitive rates, Honest, Good Puja. |service. Unconfirmed tix, did not return |phone calls or money. Sep 96: Polite, |reliable, called back. Dec 96: Unconfirmed |tix again, Unreliable & rude. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andhra Travels | 1 | | | Jan., 1998 Ph:(773) 508-5626 | | [1] | | 2537 West Devon Avenue, 2nd |-------------------------------------------- Floor, Chicago, IL 60659 |EMail: AndraTravl@aol.com Contact: Andhavarapu |Reservation was waitlisted, so offered to Satyanarayana |let pax pay after confirmation. Next day was |rude and demanded money first. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- City Express Travel | 1 | | | Oct., 1997 Ph:(630) 279-1650 | | | | IL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Ashok |Satisfactory. Prompt to return calls. |Courteous. Willing to discuss alternate |routes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Compare Travel Inc. | | | | Ph:(312) 853-1144 | | | | Fax:(312) 853-2446 +-------------------------------------------- 5 north Wabash Ave., Suite |EMail: compare@ais.net 818, Chicago, IL 60602 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Devon Travels | 2 | | N | April, 1994 Ph:(312) 973-0600 | | | | IL |-------------------------------------------- |Efficient. Tickets sent by UPS. Reliable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diners World Travel | 4 | 2 | Y/X | Jan., 1997 Ph:(312) 262-4300 | | | | IL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Rada Pillai |EMail: dwtravel@ix.netcom.com |Reliable. Professional. Cheap. Delivers on |promises. Last: Messed up ticketing badly, |but quite prompt & sincere while refunding |money for cancellation. Messed up tix again, |badly. Quoted low fare, raised it after |booking. Last: Very good service, prompt, |reliable, cheap. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Econo Travels | | 1 | | Jan., 1997 2517 W. Devon Street, Suite | | | | 101, Chicago, IL 60659 |-------------------------------------------- |Gave client the runaround, sold unconfirmed |tix as confirmed. Rude. Unhelpful. Hadn't |refunded money yet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fly World Travels | 9 | 3 | Y | Oct., 1997 Ph:(800) 628-3222(?) | | | | (312) 728-9495 +-------------------------------------------- Chicago, IL |Cheapest deal for India to U.S. travel. Sent Contact: Suzanna, Jaffar Abbas |tickets to party in India at no charge. |Prompt. Reliable. Lied about confirmation of |tickets, never called back, rude. |Occassionally Very courteous. Last exp very |good. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future Travels | 59 | | M | May, 1998 Ph:(630) 424-1060 | [1] | | | 18w100, 22nd St Suite #115, |-------------------------------------------- Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 |EMail: futtrvl@aol.com Contact: Jagan Reddy, Suraj |Good Service. Prompt, Reliable;once sent |tickets before payment. Also informed about |transit visa requirements for Canada. Book |on routes through Europe so as to cause |minimal waiting at the airports. Courteous. |Good rates. Also offered to get visas from |Chicago for small fee. Gave 25% student |discounts on internal flights in India. |EMail Address may be discontinued. Attention |to details. Sent tix before getting paid. |Assumed responsibility for miscommunication & |reinstated cancelled tix. Did not cash check |till tix were sent. Slow to call back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GoGo Travel (II) | | 1 | | Dec., 1997 Ph:(630) 769-1766 | | | | Fax:(630) 769-1767 +-------------------------------------------- IL |Abusive. Very Unprofessional. Also goes by |the name Jan Travel. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Imperial Travels & Tour Inc | 1 | | X | Aug., 1995 Ph:(312) 338-8000 | | | | Fax:(312) 338-9300 +-------------------------------------------- 2536 W. Perterson Ave, |Prompt, efficient. Competitive rates. Phone# Chicago, IL 60659 |may have changed (Mar 1988). Contact: Mathew, Shibu | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- India Nepal Travel | | 1 | | June, 1997 Ph:(773) 279-8687 | | | | (800) 556-8000 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(773) 267-1787 |Expensive. Bad Service. Avoidable. Other Telex:031-76029 |Info: Phone: 536463, 5467019 Fax: 5459190, Telex:031-76029IL |5190860 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- India Tours, Inc. | | 2 | | Jan., 1996 Chicago, IL | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Took advance payment for hotels and meals |for trip to India, but passengers were |forced to re-pay while travelling. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intra World Travels & Tours, | 17 | | Y/X | March, 1998 Inc | [2] | | | Ph:(847) 491-6930 +-------------------------------------------- 1-800-626-6963 |EMail: AjaydG@aol.com Fax:(847) 491-0923 |Web : http://www.intrawld.com 524 Davis St, Evanston, 60201 |Competent. Reliable. Professional. Honest. Contact: Ajay, Mr. D.A. |Sent tix within one week of payment. May be Gidwani, Purnima |somewhat expensive. Prompt. May favor AI. |Sent tix by Fedex same day they rec'd pmt. |Prompt refund on cancelled tix. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kwality Travels & Tours Inc. | | 2 | | March, 1996 2536 W. Peteson Ave., Chicago, | | | | IL 60659 |-------------------------------------------- |Very unreliable. Gave status as confirmed |when it wasn't ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mona Travels | 6 | 3 | | Aug., 1997 Ph:(312) 427-6800 | | | | Chicago, IL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Mrs. Kalpana |Helpful and prompt. Courteous. Professional. Mukherjee |Lied about confirmation. Changed airline |after getting money. Didn't call back. |Increased fare by $150 after MO was |purchased. Unreliable. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parco Travels | 1 | | | Dec., 1995 Ph:(312) 274-9490 | | | | (312) 274-3255 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(312) 381-2380 |Very helpful. Chicago, IL | Contact: Deepak | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer Travels | 2 | 1 | | Aug., 1997 Ph:(312) 338-8700(Off) | | | | (312) 761-9765(Wknd/eve) +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(312) 338-8708 |Honest, efficient. Courteous. Last: Lied 2600 W. Peterson Ave., Suite# |about booking, airline denied one. Never 208, Chicago, IL 60659 |called back Contact: Jai Kalayil | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Puja Travel | 9 | 2 | | Nov., 1995 Ph:(708) 241-4700 | | | | Fax:(708) 241-4772 +-------------------------------------------- Chicago, IL |Nice. Sent tickets within 3-4 days after Contact: Anju, Sam |payment. Helpful in getting tickets with a |short notice. Courteous, willing to discuss |alternative routes. Rude in one case. Very |unhelpful in another. Confirm tickets before |sending money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rama World Travels (Rama | 7 | 5 | X | Jan., 1997 Tours) | | | | Ph:(800) TEL-RAMA +-------------------------------------------- Chicago, IL |Reliable. Prompt. Courteous. Competitive Contact: Ms. Shyama Kapur |rates. Have been around for many years. |Lately not prompt. Delayed mailing tickets |but said on phone that tickets were mailed. |Very rude. Took full amount when paying by |credit card. Very unreliable, inefficient. |Later: Very satsfactory, 2 day turnaround on |tix ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Royal Travels | 4 | | | Jan., 1997 Ph:(312) 509-9600 | | | | Chicago, IL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Jose Korattiyal |Prompt, reliable, good deal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Safeway Travels | | 6 | | Aug., 1989 Ph:(800) 458-9880 | | | | Chicago, IL |-------------------------------------------- |Don't even think of getting tickets from |safeway. Rude, asked for payment 2 months in |advance, raised prices. Returned only $2800 |out of $2900 two days before the flight, |bogus bookings. Similar experience even when |bookings were done early (4 months in |advance). Had to approach Better Business |Bureau to get refund. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Samrat Tours & Travels | 1 | 1 | Y/X | April, 1996 Ph:(312) 262-5394 | | | | (312) 262-5395 +-------------------------------------------- IL |Courteous. Returns calls. In one case: rude, |lied about tickets. Took money and did not |issue tix. Need to stay on top of him even |after sending money. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sana Travel & Tours | 1 | 1 | Y | Dec., 1996 Ph:(312) 769-3600 | | | | Fax:(312) 769-1307 +-------------------------------------------- 2525 W. Peterson Ave, Suite |Good prices, got tickets when others could 107-08, Chicago, IL 60656 |not. Good for Emirates and Royal Jordanian. Contact: Ali |Latest: Very bad experience - rude, booked |tix for non-existent flight, raised prices |after getting paid. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shama Travels | 4 | 1 | | 1994 Chicago, IL | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Pretty efficient. Good BA deals. Reliable. |Sends written confirmation of travel plan |before asking for payment. Misquoted price |causing last minute purchase at a $150 |premium. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trade Wings Travel | 2 | 1 | | Jan., 1998 Ph:1-800-430-4480 | | | | 1-312-764-2300 +-------------------------------------------- 6357 North Fairfield Ave, |Unreliable, rude. Sent confirmation number Chicago, IL 60659 |that the airline said was invalid. Latest: Contact: Alex |Courteous & Prompt. Reasonable price. |Delivered tix before getting paid. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Center | 2 | 1 | | May, 1993 , Chicago, IL | | | | Contact: Naren Soni, Deepti |-------------------------------------------- Soni |Courteous, helpful. Prices slightly higher. |Lied about booking status. Rude, unco- |operative. Deepti was very helpful. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Corner Inc. | | 2 | Y | 1994 Ph:(312) 263-6725 | | | | (312) 327-1920 +-------------------------------------------- Chicago, IL |Hamid Kazi also operates under St. Charles Contact: Hamid Kazi |Travel. Refused to book without payment, and |then did not refund when the booking was |canceled. Also check India Tours Inc. Bad |reports. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Masters | 1 | | | 1994 Ph:(708) 598-2959 | | | | 10030 S. Walnut Terr. #203, |-------------------------------------------- Palos Hills, IL 60465 |Prompt, helpful, handles rush orders well. Contact: Magi Ebenezer | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Partners International | | | | Sept, 1996 2001 Midwest Rd., Oakbrook, | | | | IL 60521 |-------------------------------------------- |Very Low Price on AirIndia? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- world wide travel (II) | | | | Jan., 1998 IL | [1] | | | +-------------------------------------------- |reliable,helpful. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- World Wide Travels (II) | 1 | | | June, 1996 Ph:(773) 761-3854 | | | | IL |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Rajesh, Sonya |Prompt. FWIW, Recommended by their |wholesaler. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- India Travel Service | | | | Aug., 1997 Ph:765-743-3616 | | | | Fax:765-743-3545 +-------------------------------------------- X |EMail: indiatvl@wcic.org Contact: Anita Joglekar |Professional, Friendly, Competitive. Quotes |on Tours as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Globe Travels | 18 | 2 | X | April, 1998 Ph:(319) 366-1411 | [2] | | | (319) 362-9071 +-------------------------------------------- Fax:(319) 362-8767 |EMail: Globe@GlobeTravels.Com 1972 First Ave NE, Cedar | TICKETS@compuserve.com Rapids, IA 52402 |Web : http://www.globetravels.com/ Contact: Vanitha/Herman |Courteous. Have office in India (Madras?) as |well. Reliable. Forced Gulf Air tickets on |someone even though the person specifically |did not want them. May have lied once about |booking on other airlines (?) (See Response |from Globe Travel in EMails). Latest: |Courteous, Resourceful. Need to keep calling. |Slow to call back. Fast over E-Mail! Faxed |tix copy to consulate to expedite visa in |emergency. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kansas: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- V.J.'s Exotic Safaris | 1 | | | March, 1998 Ph:(316) 221-4085 | | | | Fax:(316) 221-4085 +-------------------------------------------- 320 Stevens Ave. Ste. 4, |EMail: safaris@southwind.net Winfield, KS 67156 |Web : http://www2.southwind.net/~safaris Contact: C. Harris/Vijay |Experienced, Helpful, Professional. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Louisiana: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Express Travels | 2 | | | Nov., 1994 Ph:(504) 524-2424 | | | | Fax:(504) 524-2442 +-------------------------------------------- New Orleans, LA |Helpful, good prices, reliable. Helps with Contact: Ashok Patel |visa paperwork. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maryland: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A.P. Travels | 9 | 4 | Y | March, 1998 Ph:(301) 431-1120 | | [1] | | Langley Park, MD |-------------------------------------------- Contact: James/George/ |Issued tickets without customer Nagendra/Sheenu |authorization. When asked to release |ticketing back to airlines, canceled |reservations. Did not inform about price |increase till it was too late. Very |unreliable. Overcharged, and gave lot of |trouble when asked to return money. Rude. |Last: Professional, Reliable, Courteous, |Patient. Rude. Raised prices from quote. |Said quote good only till Delhi, $200 extra |to go to Bombay. Good service, prompt & |helpful, passed on discount. Rude again. |Help on to refund for two months. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ace Travels (formerly Van | | 1 | | Oct., 1993 Ness Tr.) | | | | MD |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Mrs.&Mr. Rajabally |Unreliable. Lied about getting ticket status |changed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avani Travels | 4 | | X | Jan., 1998 Ph:(301) 431-4990 | | [1] | | Fax:(301) 431-2494 +-------------------------------------------- 1620 Elton Rd Suite #203, |Professional. Probable KLM consolidator. Silver Spring, MD 20903 |Good Service. Prompt. 5% card charge. Contact: Ms. Avani, Rupali |Personal Checks OK. Friendly and courteous. |Last: Messed up visa req, meals. Ran out of |tickets to issue to pax?!!! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- M & M Travels | 1 | | | Feb., 1998 Ph:410-254-9421 | | | | Fax:410-254-9432 +-------------------------------------------- Baltimore, MD |EMail: mmtrvl@juno.com Contact: Mathews |Web : http://www.suresite.com/md/m/mmtrvl/ |Nice & Helpful. Good Fares. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mt. Royal Travel | | | Y/X | 0 Ph:1-800-76-ROYAL | | | | Fax:(410) 685-6633 +-------------------------------------------- 1303 N. Charles Street, |EMail: ric8@ix.netcom.com Baltimore, MD 21201 |Web : http://pw2.netcom.com/~ric8/travel.html Contact: Mary J. Levin |The agent has requested removal of their |contact info as they feel they can not |effectively serve this segment of the |travelling public. Please do not contact |then about travel to the subcontinent. Other |calls OK. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.N./Greenbelt Travels | | | | Ph:(301) 452-3256 | | | | MD |-------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sona Travels | 2 | 3 | Y/X | Nov., 1997 Ph:(301) 589-3344 | | | | Fax:(301) 589 4169 +-------------------------------------------- Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, |Good service and prices. Courteous. Latest - MD 20904 |Unreliable, last minute price hike. Put on Contact: Ashu Bhalla, Deepak, |hold for long time, Changed schedule, price Mohini |at last minute, did not mail tix for 45 days |after cashing check. Client had to pay FedEx |charges to finally get tix. High Prices. |Unconfirmed seats, rude, no veg meal, a |month to deliver tix. VA Office has moved to |this location. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcom Consultants | 6 | | | Dec., 1996 Ph:(301) 754-3625 | | | | Fax:(301) 754-3624 +-------------------------------------------- 1907 Flowering Tree Ter, |Friendly, courteous, helpful. Trustworthy. Silver Spring, MD 20902 |Prompt. Screwed up the itinerary once. Very Contact: Mr. R. Kannan |co-operative and straightforward. Good fares |on BA. Accepts check. Last experience - good, |no problems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- World Travel Connections | 1 | | | May, 1997 Ph:(301) 249 0020 | | | | 3038 Mitchellville Rd suite |-------------------------------------------- #204, Bowie, 26 20716 |Very helpful, helped to find cheapest rates, Contact: Ms Suman |Courteous, Returned calls immediately. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Massachusetts: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allan Travels | | 2 | | March, 1998 Ph:617-254-8045 | | [1] | | MA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Anitha |Did not change reservations as directed. |Cancelled tix without authorization. Has |reputation for misspelling names. |Competitive prices. Sold Wait-Listed tix as |Confirmed. Forgot to ask pax to reconfirm |domestic tix in India, tix got cancelled. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Always Travel | 4 | 1 | | Oct., 1997 Ph:(978) 579-5999 | | | | Fax:(617) 893-3654 (Old#) +-------------------------------------------- Burlington, MA |Reasonable price, very good service, Contact: Mr Gupta |explained options (apex, 14-day excursion |etc.), trustworthy, Prompt, responsive, |courteous. Did not pay airline on time, so |tix got cancelled. Bad service. Not good on |phone calls, but decent overall. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lotus Travels | 3 | 2 | X | May, 1997 Ph:(617) 821-2070 | | | | Canton, MA |-------------------------------------------- |Had a lot of problem with postponing travel |dates. Bad business hours. Efficient another |time. Latest: pleasant, helpful, good in |emergency ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.B. Travels | 5 | 1 | | Jan., 1997 Ph:(617) 332-1832 | | | | Fax:(617) 332-2992 +-------------------------------------------- Boston, MA |EMail: 70733.3651@compuserve.com Contact: Mr. Chand Kapoor |Excellent prices, courteous, prompt, helpful. |Raised prices from what he quoted once. Good |for Gulf Air & KLM. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pak Travel | 1 | | | Jan., 1994 Brighton, MA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Helpful, Responsive. Good on short notice. |Reasonable fare ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paradise Travel Services, Inc. | 2 | | | Nov., 1994 Ph:(617) 254-1133 | | | | Fax:(617) 254-2770 +-------------------------------------------- 125 Harvard Ave., Allston, MA |Good prices, esp. on Tower Air. Helpful, 02134 |courteous, prompt. Contact: Anita | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pilot Group, The | 2 | 2 | N | April, 1996 Ph:1-800-PILOT-2U | | | | 21 Cummings Park, Suite 276, |-------------------------------------------- Woburn, MA 01801-6504 |Helpful and prompt. Decent prices. Got Contact: Manny Pasha |tickets at short notice. Unreliable in |another case. Rude sometimes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Travel | 3 | | X | May, 1996 Ph:(617) 272-8343 | | | | 15 Tinhkam Ave, Burlington, |-------------------------------------------- MA 01803 |Reasonable fares. Helpful. Merged with Contact: Nima Lele |Traveller's Choice (III) Nima Lele still |works there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regency Travels | 10 | 1 | | Aug., 1997 Ph:(617) 891-8422 | | | | Waltham, MA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Hansa Shah |Reliable, trustworthy. Somewhat rude. |Helpful in last minute arrangements for |emergency travel. Good prices. Not very |prompt. Misquoted price, refused to ack |mistake or to cancel reservation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sasta Travels | 21 | 3 | | March, 1997 Ph:(508) 369-0050 | | | | Boston, MA |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Mr. Narayanan |Never returned call. Took full payment for a |canceled flight. Yet to return the money. |Mailed tickets at the last moment. Mr. |Narayanan here seemed prompt efficient, |professional and helpful. Other people in |this company were not as cooperative. Later |experiences very satisfactory. Last: hasn't |refunded money for cancelled tix ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Target Travels | 1 | 2 | | March, 1997 Ph:(617) 562-1300 | | | | 1-800-832-4242 ext. 31 +-------------------------------------------- 46 Birmingham Parkway, Boston, |Latest: Inflexible and rude. did not work MA 02135 |well with client. Courteous but charged more Contact: Anita |than authorized amt. Did not refund full |amount. Took action by BBB to get full |refund. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travel Arrangement | 1 | | | Jan., 1997 Burlington, MA | | | | +-------------------------------------------- |Somewhat higher prices, but very |professional and helpful ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traveller's Choice (III) | 44 | 4 | X | April, 1998 Ph:(732) 273-3100 | [5] | | | Fax:(781) 273-2700 +-------------------------------------------- 135 Cambridge St. , |Very Helpful. Patient. Courteous. Recently Burlington, MA 01803 |bought out Rainbow Travel. May allow you to Contact: Massey Casper, Nima |pay when you collect tix (check w/agent). 4% Lele |extra for Credit Cards. Helped arrange for |extra luggage on NW. Rude. Made reservation |without finding out all details. Another |time helpful, efficient. Oct97: A batch of |very saitsfactory experiences. Once reqd pmt |up front, did not ask preferences on meals |and seats, unhelpful. Nov97: Satisfactory. |Quick refund on cancelled tix.Dec97: Was |unaware of tix being cancelled, caused |problems for passenger. Other experiences |satisfactory. Another time issued ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your Travels | | 7 | | Feb., 1997 2380 Mass. Ave, Suite 104 | | | | also, 25 JFK St. Suite C, |-------------------------------------------- Cambridge, MA 02139 , |Defrauded a number of people. Took money and Cambridge, MA 02140 |did not give tickets. Problems with refund. Contact: Mr Abul Khayer, Ms |And Again. Apparently avoids calls from Salma |people he owes refunds to. FTC is aware of |several cases of non-refund. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delta Travels | | 1 | | Dec., 1995 Ph:(313) 581-1230 | | | | Fax:(313) 581-9941 +-------------------------------------------- 13039 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, |Increased price of ticket at the last minute. MI 48126 |Could not get youth fare on Indian domestic Contact: Sameer |flights. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Executive Travels | 3 | 1 | X | March, 1997 Ph:(810) 795-4384 | | | | Sterling Heights, MI |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Vyjayanthi |Friendly, helpful. Nice, cooperative. Calls Subramanian |back. Reasonable fares. Made client buy tix |in a hurry, but could be due to peak season. |Difficult to get on phone. Issued tix very |late. 3% extra for credit cards. Delivered |tix in India on time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gita Travels | 54 | 9 | Y/X | Dec., 1997 Ph:(248) 689-5201 | | | | Troy, MI |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Geetha Pradeep |Reliable. Works best if contacted well in |advance. Helpful and prompt. Has 9:30PM to |11:30PM office hours on Tue, Wed and Thu. In |one case raised prices, and mailed tickets |at the last moment. Seat not booked properly |in one case. In one case, had to call often, |and stay on the line (long distance) while |she attended another client. Issued a wrong |ticket for connecting flight, and did not |respond well to correct the mistake. Puts |you on hold for unreasonably long time. Rude. |Just too busy to provide a quality service. |Quoted false higher figure for penalty to |change ticket. Great in emergencies. Seems ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gogo Travels | 2 | | N | Sept, 1997 Ph:(810) 265-0467 (Daytime) | | | | (810) 299-7416 (Evenings) +-------------------------------------------- MI |EMail: 71542.2702@compuserv.com Contact: Mr. Sanjeeb Das |Low Rates. Accepts cheques only. Took time |to mail tix, but otherwise okay. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaya Travels | 5 | 3 | X | Nov., 1997 Ph:(810) 559-5292 | | | | Southfield, MI |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Vyjaynthi, Jaya |Dependable. But need to keep at top. |Unreliable in one case. Excellent service in |another. Latest - Tix on RJ were cancelled |for reasons unknown, repeatedly. Not clear |why. Also, more expensive that many agents. |Extremely rude, un-cooperative in one case, |polite & understanding in the next. Last: |Very satisfactory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rama Travels | | | | Dec., 1997 Ph:(517) 351-9077 | | | | Fax:(517) 336-7351 +-------------------------------------------- 1448 Oak Ridge #204, East |EMail: ramatravels@hotmail.com Lansing, 375 48823 |Helpful. Flights to a number of Asian Contact: Ramesh/Usha |countries. Complete information pkg incl tix |info, visa & other related papers in advance. |Good service. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rani Travels | 3 | | | March, 1995 Ph:(810) 557-5300 | | | | Detroit, MI |-------------------------------------------- Contact: Tripti, Mrs. Rose |Prompt, helpful and courteous. No longer in |business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Superior Travel | 1 | | Y | Feb., 1997 Ph:1-800-538-0190 | | | | Fax:(810) 552-0198 +-------------------------------------------- MI |Good deal on BA, Prompt. Need to call them |to remind. ------------------------------------